Chapter 4: Your Methods Are Truly Low-Class.
A woman in a wide-brimmed white beach hat, a skin-tight black-and-white one-piece dress, and high heels looked toward the gate from behind her sunglasses.
Her vibrant outfit was utterly out of place amid the tense, battle-ready atmosphere right in front of the gate. Her beauty matched her flashy attire. Any man might have been tempted to approach her—but none did.
Everyone seemed to know her. At the same time, they kept their distance, watching warily from afar, as if reluctant to get too close.
The woman ignored the stares around her as if accustomed to them, fixing her gaze solely on the gatekeeper.
Then, a man approached the woman whom no one else dared near. He bowed politely.
“You’ve arrived?”
“Everything ready?”
“Yes, Guild Master.”
“Then let’s go negotiate.”
“I’ll escort you.”
At first, Kang Moo-hyuk had suspected the Immortal Guild’s raid bid might not be a simple mistake. Otherwise, why would a mid-tier guild with only twenty-three hunters aim for first priority on an Unknown raid?
Unless they’re committing group suicide or trying to tank the guild.
But who would have thought that joke was reality?
Na Do-hyun’s off-the-record confession inside the command tent revealed a situation Kang Moo-hyuk hadn’t anticipated at all.
“So, you’re saying... they really intended to bankrupt the guild?”
“That’s right. Saying it out loud, my position feels not just embarrassing but pathetic.”
The story went like this.
A core guild hunter he trusted enough to make party leader had put them on the raid list.
The recent two raid forfeits had been deliberate sabotage disguised as mistakes.
Why leave a hunter who’d screwed up twice with access to the Guild App?
There were plenty of suspicious points, but it wasn’t Kang Moo-hyuk’s concern. No matter the motive for betrayal or poor management, the immediate priority was elsewhere.
“Looking back, it felt like they’d planned it from the first two drops. My mistake was trusting a founding member too much.”
Na Do-hyun’s excuse drew disbelieving glances from Kang Moo-hyuk and Park Min-soo.
You run a guild on trust? Trust the system.
Why pull that crap on an Unknown gate of all places?!
The Immortal Guild had failed basic internal security, dragging other guilds into the mess.
Kang Moo-hyuk wanted to unload a tirade, but as Titan’s strategy team leader, he decided to resolve it in Titan’s favor.
“Handling the traitor is your business. Let me make a proposal.”
“Please do.”
“An Unknown raid is too much for Immortal Guild alone. Dropping it means Three Strikes and major fallout, so why not partner with us...”
“Before you pitch that, mind if I make one first?”
A woman barged into the tent, cutting Kang Moo-hyuk off.
Na Do-hyun whipped around at the uninvited guest.
“You... you bastard...!”
Na Do-hyun glared at the man who’d followed her in.
Grind.
The sound of teeth gnashing echoed in the tent. Kang Moo-hyuk realized the man was the culprit here.
But he couldn’t tear his eyes from the woman beside him. Her face was hidden by sunglasses, but he recognized her instantly. She was too famous. Anyone in the industry knew her.
Park Min-soo looked stunned too, clearly recognizing her.
“Joo Se-ah...?”
The ace of the Tier-1 guild Slayer.
So she was the backer. No wonder they had the guts.
Joo Se-ah was a force everyone acknowledged. Her fame matched her skill. She had epithets to match.
“Indomitable Witch.”
“Magic Killer.”
“Walking Catastrophe.”
Epithets that could be fame or infamy, applying to monsters and hunters alike.
Even Na Do-hyun, recognizing her late, froze in rage.
Kang Moo-hyuk recalled her latest data.
Didn’t she just go FA? Her ten-year Slayer contract expired. Why get involved with a place like Immortal?
Gate raid rights required at least an expedition leader or a guild, even a small one—like a sole proprietor or corporation.
As far as he knew, Joo Se-ah had no affiliation now.
Meaning no reason to be here. No qualification, even.
If she had business...
It’s with Immortal Guild.
He had a bad feeling she’d ruin his plans.
“Hunter Joo Se-ah. Barging in without permission is a bit much...”
Kang Moo-hyuk objected, but she raised a hand to silence him. He shut his mouth at the casual gesture.
Her charisma—called the best on the gate frontlines—was overwhelming, even for non-hunters. Hunters too.
Her bombshell followed immediately.
“It’s not official yet, but I’m running a guild now. Guild Master Na Do-hyun, let’s merge with us.”
What the hell?
Her blunt, direct explanation and proposal threw Kang Moo-hyuk off. Park Min-soo’s eyes were wide too.
Joo Se-ah as guild master? Where? And why merge with a small fry like this?
Questions piled up.
“Merger between Immortal Guild and Taeseong Guild. Objections denied.”
Kang Moo-hyuk bristled at her tone, echoing his own phrasing. She rubbed him the wrong way all around.
Taeseong? Where was that again?
No memory surfaced. But Park Min-soo knew, whispering as he approached.
“Taeseong Group. It’s their affiliate guild.”
“Taeseong Group?”
Not because he didn’t know the group—because Taeseong Guild’s presence was so faint.
Unlike other chaebol-backed guilds, Taeseong was bottom-tier in the industry, holding no sway.
That’s why even info-savvy Kang Moo-hyuk hadn’t recalled it.
A perfect example of guilds moving on hunters, not power or money.
Hunters like money, but hate being tied down more.
The idea of controlling hunters with cash. Why most conglomerates failed at guilds.
And a Tier-1 ace joins one as guild master? A weakling at that?
Money was easy to pull in, but no tradition or strength to boast.
Harshly put, the guild’s biggest achievement was its founding—and now the industry’s top icon joined.
Even the best can’t run a guild solo. Prestigious guilds aren’t prestigious for nothing. It’s the systems and talent woven together. Taeseong lacks that infrastructure.
Another type Kang Moo-hyuk despised.
He acknowledged hunters as the pinnacle of smart work, but also humanity’s last bulwark against monsters.
A job where desire and duty aligned perfectly.
Chaebol guilds chased desire alone. It irked him that the top hunter joined one. His tone reflected it.
“As guild master, at least follow basic guild etiquette.”
Joo Se-ah removed her sunglasses. Her face alone seemed to brighten the drab tent.
Sometimes great looks dominated a room, but with her, it was the aura from her whole presence that subdued people.
“Titan Guild, Strategy Team Leader Kang Moo-hyuk, right? Saw you in an article once. Nice to meet you.”
She offered a handshake, but he only glanced at her hand, not taking it. Park Min-soo fidgeted watching.
“Did I offend Team Leader Kang? Can’t be helped—you were about to snatch the fish we’d hooked. Had to butt in quick. Don’t be too mad.”
“The fish we’d hooked... Your merger tactics are truly low-class. Learned that from a chaebol guild, huh?”
“First time meeting and you’ve got a razor tongue. But is Titan any different? Can you say that with confidence?”
“...”
“See? Cat got your tongue. Anyway, fine. Hunters don’t care about means or methods. Just finish the job, even if it’s crude.”
She held out a hand sideways; her trailing hunter handed over a document envelope.
“Guild Master Na. Take a look. Merger terms.”
Na Do-hyun, still glaring at the traitor, took the papers.
Inside was a thick stack bound like a book. Flipping the cover, his eyes widened at the first page. Wrinkles around his eyes twitched. He swallowed dryly with each page, looking uncomfortable.
“Th-this as terms...?”
“Oh? Not to your liking? Well, with that, Three Strikes won’t worry you. Understandable.”
Kang Moo-hyuk sighed at Na Do-hyun’s reaction, heading for the exit.
“Party Leader, let’s go. Not our place anymore.”
“Y-yeah?”
Park Min-soo, sensing the shift, followed without question.
“We’ll be off.”
As Kang Moo-hyuk turned after a light farewell, Joo Se-ah called out.
“Just in case—Team Leader Kang, join our guild?”
“Scouting me?”
“Double your salary. Same position.”
“Hmm. Titan and Taeseong don’t quite match up.”
“Ouch, way to hurt a girl. Can’t argue there. But you know A-rank and Tier-1 are worlds apart. Non-hunter strategy lead? How long you gonna hold that?”
“Best wishes for your business.”
Joo Se-ah shook her head at his retreating back.
“Still so stubborn.”
She turned back to Na Do-hyun.
“Now, shall we wrap up the merger talk?”
“Why’d you just walk out? Even if it’s Joo Se-ah, she’s not Slayer anymore. We had nothing to fear.”
“Situation’s already flipped. No point fighting a done deal, so I bailed.”
“Huh?”
“Saw Guild Master Na’s face reading those docs? She’s got leverage on him.”
“Leverage?”
“The traitor party leader handed it over. Something beyond Three Strikes—major crime even hunters can’t dodge. It’s not negotiation; it’s blackmail. No winning that.”
Park Min-soo trusted Kang Moo-hyuk. Not just from results.
Sometimes he was eerily sharp. Some called it intuition, others insight. Jokes flew about him laying out mats in advance.
That’s how he’d risen as strategy lead.
Seeing the unseen, reading hidden truths. Deciding without looking back.
Prepare what needs preparing, dodge what’s dodgeable, strike when needed.
Simple in words, hard in practice.
Like he foresaw the future, no hesitation.
He’d been Titan’s cheat key for growth.
Even arrogant hunters acknowledged it.
Park Min-soo licked his lips, reluctant.
“You think it was hopeless too, Team Leader?”
“I’m no god... Unexpected hits leave me helpless too.”
“If you say so... But swallowing Immortal means Three Strikes, right? Merger or not, admin freezes too. What’s she banking on?”
“Three Strikes isn’t certain.”
“It’s Unknown. Even Joo Se-ah can’t solo it. Taeseong’s forces are known—same old lineup, no transfers.”
“Know her nicknames?”
“Nicknames? Witch, Magic Kill—oh?!”
“Yeah. Extreme advantage against magic monsters. She’s confident, so she jumped in.”
Questions lingered, but Kang Moo-hyuk accepted the situation.
Gate secured: failed.
Nothing more.
Gates spawned endlessly yearly. Even in small Korea, guilds abounded. Even rising Titan failed bids often. No point dwelling—save energy. Know when to fold.
“Party Leader, watch Joo Se-ah’s raid up close this time. Gatekeeper hunt’s open to spectators, unlike inside.”
“Y-yeah?”
Unlike his earlier griping, Park Min-soo lit up with anticipation, scrambling for a good spot.
After parting, Kang Moo-hyuk reviewed Kim Man-gi’s Immortal Guild files.
Hunter profiles, raid subcontracts, financials, etc.
A quick scan caught snags.
Subtle indicators needing days of cross-checking for most—but his sharp senses caught them, as always since childhood.
Small guild, big operations. Profits too low for scale. High hunts, but gear costs microscopic. Doesn’t add up for their level. Usually means...
Embezzlement, breach of trust.
Or...
Front guild for a major one.
Tax evasion shells or dirty-work proxies.
Cleaner guilds. Major crime, illegal.
His gut confirmed it.
That’d make the blackmail stick.
Did Joo Se-ah know and poke anyway? Or another reason?
Either way, dangerous.
Even for her.
“Tch, why worry about her? Got my own fires.”
He called HQ, stood down, ordered withdrawal. Anticlimactic for the fuss. Yeouido guilds all shared it.
As he’d told Taeguk’s Jo Ik-jun, they’d been one-upped by a sub-B guild.
Words become seeds... How to word the report?
At that moment, Kang Moo-hyuk’s only worry was filling the blank.
Oblivious to the tiny spark about to consume him.