Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Taebaek's Ultimatum
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This wasn't just anyone's office—it was the Korea Hunter Association President's. Kicking the door open like that was an outrageous breach of etiquette.
"Hey, what the—!"
The Association President started shouting with an angry look on his face, but he cut himself off the moment he saw who had burst in.
I turned around and immediately understood why he'd stopped mid-sentence.
"Team Leader Yoon Sung-hyun?"
The man who'd kicked down the door was Yoon Sung-hyun from Taebaek LLC. In that instant, the hierarchy between companies and the Association clicked firmly into place in my mind.
No matter how high and mighty the Association President acted, he couldn't raise his voice in front of a team leader from Taebaek, one of Korea's top three powerhouse companies.
"Hey, Sung-hyun. What's going on? Coming in so suddenly like this."
"Association President."
Yoon Sung-hyun gave a curt greeting—or whatever it was—then turned his gaze to me.
"Let's talk for a minute."
He wasn't armed, and the mana built up in his body showed no signs of stirring.
Strictly speaking, Taebaek might rank above the Association, but it wasn't an overwhelming enough advantage to justify outright force.
"What did you want to discuss?"
Yoon Sung-hyun responded to my question.
"I hear you held a press conference saying you have no plans to join a company. Didn't I warn you?"
Ah, so that's what this was about. I smiled and replied smoothly.
"Not at all. I just said I have no plans right now. The transfer market's opening soon anyway, and when it does, I'll be a free agent."
FA (free agent). Hunters without a company could naturally field offers from companies once the transfer window opened. Yoon Sung-hyun furrowed his brow at my words.
"Why didn't you contact Taebaek right away?"
"Lee Se-eun from Zanabi introduced me to a few requests."
"And?"
And what? I continued in a gentle tone.
"Joining Taebaek doesn't have to happen immediately, but turning down requests from Lee Se-eun right there on the spot would be incredibly rude, don't you think?"
It carried the nuance that, free agent or not, I'd obviously end up at Taebaek anyway.
That should satisfy him at least somewhat, if not completely.
"Understood."
It worked. But he still didn't seem entirely pleased.
"That was all. By the way, Association President, what were you discussing with this guy?"
The Association President let out a forced "Hahaha."
He couldn't outright say something like, "What business is it of yours?" so he just laughed it off, making it clear he had no intention of sharing.
Don't want to tell him? Fine, I'll do it myself.
"Nothing much. The Association President just introduced me to a few requests."
At my words, the Association President's gaze shifted to me, while Yoon Sung-hyun's went to him.
"But I'm not some big shot who needs the Association's help... and I have no way to repay that favor yet, right?"
Yoon Sung-hyun replied to me, and in that moment, a faint, unspoken alliance settled between us.
Accepting help from Zanabi was unavoidable, but now the Association President was trying to rope me into something with his own requests.
This kind of development wasn't exactly favorable for Taebaek, who had their eyes on me.
"Association President recommendations, huh? Now I'm curious too."
I stared at the Association President in response to Yoon Sung-hyun's words.
"You okay with that?"
This was basically admitting he'd shown me requests Taebaek couldn't see. What if he said no here?
The Association President nodded, and I straightforwardly showed Yoon Sung-hyun the requests the president had offered.
After skimming them over, Yoon Sung-hyun let out a small scoff and gave me a once-over.
"Thinking of dipping into politics? Touching patriotism. There are hunters-turned-politicians in the National Assembly, so it's not a pipe dream."
"No plans for that. I already turned it down."
Yoon Sung-hyun nodded at my response.
"Power is power, and strength is strength. Hunters should focus on building their own might."
Strength. It was a statement that gave insight into Yoon Sung-hyun's worldview. But...
"If you don't mind, I have a question."
"Ask away, but choose your words carefully."
"Was that Taebaek's philosophy, or just your personal view, Team Leader Yoon Sung-hyun?"
How's that? Provocative enough to sour his mood?
"It's Taebaek's philosophy. Hunters under Taebaek train endlessly under the law of the jungle, growing stronger by the day."
"Thank you for answering."
With that response, I'd decided what kind of relationship I'd have with Taebaek going forward.
In any case, Yoon Sung-hyun clearly wasn't thrilled with the requests the Association President had shown me.
"Association President, Yoo Chan-seok is one of the hunters Taebaek has its eye on."
"I know. We made first contact, right?"
Yoon Sung-hyun nodded at the Association President's words.
"A fine gem only shines after proper polishing. Helping Yoo Chan-seok is fine, but you should be more careful from now on."
It was phrased as a warning to be more cautious, but it boiled down to "hands off."
"No other business? Grab lunch together then."
Yoon Sung-hyun said as he stood. No reason to turn down a free meal, so I got up and left with him.
"This place suits my taste pretty well."
Our lunch was cheonggukjang donburi. Humble palate for a Partner Hunter. I'd figured someone at his level would be chowing down on fancy stuff.
"Excluding direct groups, Taebaek has 148 groups in Korea alone."
"That's a lot."
148 groups. Each Taebaek group had 15-20 members, the size of other companies' teams.
Like an army corps if you exaggerated a bit.
"Controlling that many hunters must come with its challenges."
"That's why we need overwhelming strength."
Ten groups made a team. Purely by scale, Yoon Sung-hyun, as a team leader, commanded battalion-sized forces.
On top of that, each team leader ran their own direct group.
"You'd join the 4th Team Direct Group as a Junior Hunter."
The 4th Team was the one Yoon Sung-hyun led as both team leader and Partner Hunter. Naturally, he planned to slot me right under him.
"The CEO's already committed your name to memory."
"...CEO? I thought hunter companies didn't usually have CEOs."
Yoon Sung-hyun nodded at my question.
"Other companies can run without one. But Taebaek's the world's largest, with a survival-of-the-fittest ethos."
The strongest individual wielded absolute command over all affiliated hunters, controlling them through sheer dominance. That was Taebaek's structure.
And under the CEO were five direct groups, specialized for special missions. Like special forces in an army.
"I get your situation from earlier. You couldn't turn down Lee Se-eun, so going along was the logical move."
Too weak to resist. He seemed fine with that part.
"The IHC has set this winter's transfer market to open 65 days from now at midnight, running for 10 weeks."
International Hunter Convention. I'd already heard about it from reporters' questions. Not just "impressive"—it was literally the international hunter conference.
65 days. Not much time left.
"After lunch, I'll report to the CEO that your joining is confirmed once the winter market opens."
I nearly choked on my food but managed to keep eating.
"You'd better keep your word. Otherwise, one of the CEO's direct groups will come hunting you down."
"That won't happen."
I replied calmly. Any sign of unease or panic here, and he'd doubt my sincerity immediately.
Not good.
"By the way, how does one join a direct group? Do they recruit externally?"
Only then did Yoon Sung-hyun crack a smile. That question was as good as proof I intended to join Taebaek.
"First, the CEO takes an interest. Then you pass some tests, undergo background checks on family and associates, and if you're clean, you're in."
"Got it."
Taebaek was targeting me in the upcoming transfer market. No— they assumed I'd join them as a given. My head was spinning.
Hunters couldn't transfer anytime, which at least gave me breathing room.
And that room was 65 days. If my achievements and growth didn't surpass a certain level by then...
I'd be Taebaek's. And I really didn't want that.
Survival of the fittest as company philosophy? What is this, kids playing soldier?
"Understood."
As we finished eating, Yoon Sung-hyun boasted about Taebaek.
Dedicated offices per team, massive situation rooms to support operations.
"We have tie-ins with major Korean banks for preferential savings rates for members, and famous hotels worldwide comp our rooms and meals on assignment."
With their size and prestige, affiliated hunters enjoyed massive perks.
"Of course, not everyone gets them. You have to reach a certain level."
But as a Junior Hunter in a team direct group, I'd have unrestricted access to all of it.
Once he'd run through all the bragging about how amazing Taebaek was, lunch wrapped up.
"See you later. Next time'll be transfer business."
With that, Yoon Sung-hyun left. I quickly pulled out my phone and scrolled through requests.
"Money isn't the point."
My pockets could wait. Right now, I needed to tackle the tough, tricky, low-paying crap nonstop. Become a monster even a company like Taebaek couldn't swallow easily.
Before the transfer market opened in 65 days.
"Think of it as volunteer work."
Low-pay, high-difficulty requests were everywhere if you looked.
"Stuff like this."
Tsushima Island is believed to host a Rank 2 Erosion Core. The original residents either died or evacuated to Japan, turning it into a complete uninhabited island.
Korea had no real reason to care. Tsushima's Japanese territory, Dokdo's Korean—end of story.
Ah, Dokdo's not even debatable anymore. Post-Erosion Zone crisis, Korea's international clout nailed it down in a joint Korea-Japan declaration: Dokdo is Korean soil.
"Geoje Island and Tongyeong fishermen."
Anyway, trouble on foreign soil Tsushima. To make a living, fishermen from Geoje and Tongyeong have to take their boats out to sea.
And monsters from Tsushima's Erosion Core have been snatching some of them. Seventeen kidnapped so far.