54. The Fault Lies with Those Who Do Wrong.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
No Song-rin looked puzzled as Kang Moo-hyuk’s words trailed off.
That doesn’t make sense.
Kang Moo-hyuk had long suspected that Slayer Guild was the one who pulled Kim Myeong-jun out of Ujungdo.
It wasn’t based on evidence. It was simple logic.
A murderer locked away in Ujungdo for killing multiple hunters couldn’t just serve seven years and get out as a model prisoner. That defied reason.
Sure, it wasn’t unheard of. Occasionally, they’d get leniency through special laws for impossible hunting missions that reduced sentences. Or a powerful faction might spring them illegally.
Kim Myeong-jun’s records showed no hunting deployments from Ujungdo. Naturally, Kang Moo-hyuk had assumed the latter.
And why wouldn’t he?
After release, the man had embedded himself in a shadowy satellite guild disguised as a mid-sized firm—Union.
Slayer Guild’s plan to use him as a cleaner.
—Or so I thought.
But according to No Song-rin, Hanseong Enterprise wasn’t created by Slayer and handed to Kim Myeong-jun. It was born from his proposal.
Of course, Slayer wouldn’t have gone along if they hadn’t wanted it. Kim Myeong-jun had just timed his pitch perfectly for their needs.
So he got out some other way.
Kang Moo-hyuk’s insight flashed.
Union. Hanseong Enterprise. Kim Myeong-jun. Slayer Guild.
And he reached a conclusion.
“So Kim Myeong-jun isn’t just Slayer’s lackey.”
“Pardon?”
“At least on the surface, he’s under their influence… but he might be in bed with another faction too.”
“Another faction?”
“Looks like I’ve finally got my negotiation target pinned down.”
“What the hell does that mean? I have no idea what’s going on here.”
No Song-rin pressed again at the cryptic mutter, but Kang Moo-hyuk put off answering. He dialed a number.
“It’s me. Looks like we need to meet urgently. …Serious? Who knows. Might not end well.”
* * *
“Yes, Kim Myeong-jun speaking. Who’s this? Ah! Iron Will. Guild Leader Kang Moo-hyuk, right? I never gave you this number—how’d you get it? And what’s the call about? Tonight? Sure, works for me. But unfortunately, I’m pulling an all-nighter here. What? You’ll come to me?”
Kim Myeong-jun tapped his desk a couple times with a finger.
“Fine. Yes. Eight PM. I’ll be waiting.”
He stared through the phone after hanging up. An internal line from the general affairs team. Had he ever told Kang Moo-hyuk he worked at Hanseong Enterprise? He racked his brain.
We met once at Chairman Tae’s villa. Short talk, no hints about my identity. Jeong Sil-jang’s tight-lipped, so no leaks there. Prodded via Titan, and he calls back in days?
Too thin a connection for coincidence.
Kim Myeong-jun scrolled his contacts.
[No Song-rin]
-Unable to connect. Routing through Voiceprint Relay.
“Hm, still in North Pocheon? Damn guild move’s a real pain at times like this.”
Even with a spy planted, no calls meant no use.
Something felt off.
Best to dodge in situations like this, but he couldn’t shrink back with roots here.
Hiding would only raise flags.
Whether Kang Moo-hyuk wanted chit-chat or to grill him on Titan, he couldn’t afford to look guilty.
“No harm in playing it safe, though.”
His hand flew across the phone.
“It’s me. No issues? Head to HQ.”
* * *
Hanseong Enterprise sat in Seoul’s outer industrial zone, where factories hummed even after dark thanks to the item-processing boom. But night shifts were skeleton crews—far fewer than daytime.
Kang Moo-hyuk pulled over on a quiet road before arriving.
“You left the old phone at the guild, but what if no contact raises suspicions?”
“Should be fine this time. North Pocheon’s lines aren’t fully laid yet since the move. Stick to the double-agent play for now.”
“You sure about going in solo? Kim Myeong-jun’s dangerous as hell.”
“From what I hear, he’s cautious with his own skin. We’ll manage. Got insurance, right?”
“You really trust me? I’m not confident… What if I chop your foot with the axe you trusted?”
“I don’t trust axes.”
Cryptic. No Song-rin felt miffed more at the lack of trust than the words.
Kang Moo-hyuk dropped him off and headed to Hanseong. Watching the car go, No Song-rin whistled.
“Gutsy bastard. Crawling into a lion’s den alone. He really no hunter?”
* * *
Unlike neighboring factories, Hanseong was quiet—no overtime bustle. Most staff gone. But presences lingered. A smoker in the shadows.
Kang Moo-hyuk’s instincts pegged them as hunters.
The main gate clanged shut behind him—steel on steel. Rearview showed two pushing it closed.
No Song-rin’s Ujungdo loyalists.
Low gate, but it choked escape routes. Pressure tightened his throat, but Kang Moo-hyuk stayed cool.
These were hunters who preyed on people over monsters.
The type he despised.
He couldn’t allow himself fear against them.
Chest out, he stepped from the car. Hostile auras pricked his skin—acute from mana addiction.
“Where’s Executive Director Kim Myeong-jun’s office?”
A nearby squatting hunter flinched like gut-punched. No hunter, huh? Steady nerves. He tilted his head, ash falling unnoticed from his cig, then stood and jabbed a thumb at the annex.
“Third floor, right corridor.”
The path was barren—no guides, meant to intimidate.
Kang Moo-hyuk ignored it, strode to the office.
Knock. A heavy voice answered.
“Come in.”
Kim Myeong-jun lounged deep in the sofa, rude to leave a guest standing.
Kang Moo-hyuk sat opposite uninvited.
“Lively overtime vibe here. Everyone looks comfy—no flak for slacking.”
“I like it loose.”
“Too loose. Busy running a company, yet meddling in others’ guilds.”
“...What’s that mean?”
“Exactly that. Union. Titan. More to say?”
“Oh, that? Slipped my mind. Chairman Tae whined so much—didn’t wanna, but suppliers gotta obey big corps.”
“Hunters moonlighting as suppliers now?”
“Giants like Taeseong need outfits like ours sometimes. They act prim, but hoard power—defend it any way, even outside the law. Necessary evil.”
Sly fox. Deflecting to Tae Jin-seong. Who’d never liked Joo Se-ah in Iron Will—fit perfectly.
But too quick to admit. Prepped answer. A guy hiding identity and ops this frank? Liars get honest when hiding bigger.
Eyes down. Kim smiled opposite.
Kang Moo-hyuk steadied his breath, calm.
“Then withdraw.”
“Tell Titan. We asked, they moved.”
“Titan won’t listen. Blaming Union.”
“Go to Union then.”
“You pulling Union’s strings, Executive Director?”
“‘Pulling strings’ sounds off.”
“Why? Looks tight-knit to me. Shall we dig?”
“You keep crossing lines.”
Smile gone from Kim’s face.
Still safe.
The table felt like a high-stakes gamble, but Kang Moo-hyuk felt no peril.
If Kim were a reckless killer, he wouldn’t have come.
Kang judged him slyest, self-preservation first. He’d act only after perfect alibis.
Not now. Line not fully crossed.
No Song-rin had opposed the plan. Know why they call crazies crazy? They defy prediction.
Kang agreed.
But Kim wasn’t solo anymore.
Slayer Guild, Union Asset Management, Taeseong Group—tangled, limiting moves.
Not even aligned. Factions linked via Kim, each with agendas. Balance and secrecy key.
So he can’t touch me yet.
Calculation set, he pressed.
“Does Slayer know about Union? Heard they take Japanese funds. Most Japan cash into Korea ties to Yakuza. Yakuza’s tight with Japan’s hunters. Slayer won’t like it.”
“...”
Silence. Affirmation.
Slayer, Korea’s bulwark post-Great War losses, checked Japan’s incursions.
Hitting that snared Kim.
Even as partner, not pawn—power gap huge.
Couldn’t survive opposing Slayer on Korean soil.
Kim raised hands.
“What do you want?”
“No questions asked. Pull from Iron Will Guild. For good. Direct or proxies—all.”
“Now you cross openly.”
“Generous ask, no?”
“Blackmail?”
“If you hear it that way.”
“I could oblige, no issue.”
“...”
“But you’ll hold it over me forever. We’ll clash again—you dragging Slayer in every time? Problem.”
Killing intent laced the voice.
“So you’ll cross now?”
“Don’t play victim. You knew this den. Coming defenseless? Your fault.”
Kim grabbed a cig, lit it, rose, turned back. Puffed toward window, yelled outward.
“Hey! Clean this!”
Door creaked.
Kang looked up at Kim’s back from the sofa.
“No hunter, should’ve been careful. You trusted your head too mu—”
Kim’s ash-flicking hand froze, smirk sour.
A strange face reflected in the dark-sky window—mirroring the office.
Distracted by glaring eyes, fully burned ash rained from Kim’s cig.
He spat the half-smoked cig, whirled.
“Think I came alone? Fault lies with those who do wrong.”
Kim’s gaze shifted to Kang. Eyes met.
Cold triumph, no glee.
A chill spidered Kim’s spine. Emotionless stare.
Then it hit: To Kang, this was just business.
He didn’t fear work.
“How’d they get in? No alert.”
Absurd. Near-S-rank stealth—who’d notice?
Their talk had dismissed him.
“Told you, Guild Leader Kang? No need for chaos if words work. Shame—they didn’t this round.”
“Expected that. Called insurance.”
“Puppeting your guild master… Fine. Got grudges too. Stress relief—forgiven this once.”
“Don’t kill him.”
Black armored coat flared as disaster approached.
Kim ground his teeth, bellowed.
“Joo Se-ah!!”