After finishing his spar with Kang Tae-poong, Gu Geon-yi clasped his own slightly trembling hands together.
‘I almost killed him.’
The longer their fists exchanged blows, the more clearly he could perceive the changes in himself. His movements became lighter, his strength grew, and his opponent's movements became completely visible to him. But the biggest change was something else.
Killing intent.
It was definitely not something like 'fighting spirit' born from a desire to win. The thought of wringing Kang Tae-poong's neck right then and there rose up to his chin. It was a good thing his remaining reason desperately suppressed the killing intent; otherwise, Glory Guild would have lost one of its core members.
The Dark matter experiment was a success. Starting with a minuscule amount of 0.1%, one percent of the collected Dark matter had now been administered into Gu Geon-yi's body. The Guild Research Labs Director, suffering another nosebleed, checked his condition, and the results were beyond expectations.
Gu Geon-yi's Ether Level had increased by 30%, yet no particular side effects had appeared. A 30% increase with just 1% injected. Dark matter was an item of immense value that couldn't be converted into money.
‘I need a larger amount.’
Even though he had already created a huge gap between himself and Kang Tae-poong, Gu Geon-yi was not satisfied. He knew he still lacked the strength to catch ‘that bastard’ he had targeted. For a moment, his body had almost moved on its own due to the murderous impulse, but his reason had managed to endure it.
If he could absorb more Dark matter while keeping his mind firm, he would be able to tear Cheon Hae-seon in half.
‘No, I wonder if there’s even a need to maintain my sanity.’
Isn’t it fine if I just kill them all? The killing intent he had painstakingly suppressed began to bloom once more in Gu Geon-yi’s chest. A truth he had long known, but was now feeling to his very bones.
Might is law, it is everything. People who had groveled when he possessed overwhelming power were now rushing at him like hyenas the moment he showed a single weakness.
The Association had sent an official notice that a reduction in their jurisdiction was inevitable next year, the latest batch of new Hunters recorded an unprecedentedly low recruitment rate, and the guild's already poor preference poll ratings hit rock bottom. And the most important change of all. Maria had left Glory Guild.
Everything was a result of his lack of power. Despite having finished all his scheduled appointments, Gu Geon-yi's next destination was not his home. He planned to return directly to the Gangnam research lab and get another dose of Dark matter.
His heart had grown impatient now that the results were visible, but he also needed to hurry to meet a certain ‘schedule.’
‘The Hunter Ranking Match.’
Wasn't it the perfect event to display his strengthened might? Even after the spar, far from being exhausted, Gu Geon-yi’s entire body was overflowing with power. How long had it been since he felt such a sense of elation?
Without realizing it, Gu Geon-yi was quickening his pace.
When I came out of the dungeon and turned on my phone, two notifications popped up. One was a missed call, and the other was a text message.
[I have something urgent to discuss. Please contact me when you are available to talk.]
Both were from Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu.
‘What is it this time?’
Matters involving Pyo Hyeok-gyu were generally of two types. Hunter Association business. And matters related to the ‘separate group’ he belonged to.
For now, there was no way to confirm which it was. Besides, right now, I had a more pressing problem than Pyo Hyeok-gyu.
“How do we divide this...”
After leaving the dungeon, we went to a suitable open area and put down our bags. Like toothpicks in a container, the stingers of the Venom Bee were packed tightly inside. We had entered dungeons together many times before, but never with all five of us moving as one.
A leader isn't just someone who leads well in battle. Perhaps even more important to leadership than combat was ‘distribution.’
“Let’s just have everyone take as much as they can carry with both arms.”
“... Do you even hear yourself right now?”
At my suggestion, Bi-soo furrowed her brow. Then, she made a rather surprising statement.
“I’ll just take a little. Give me the smallest share.”
“Wow. What’s gotten into you? You’re the kind of person who’d be upset to be called second-best when it comes to loving money. Is the sun going to rise in the west?”
“Hmph. I have a conscience, you know?”
Each item was worth hundreds of thousands of won. And they weren't even that heavy. But Bi-soo and Maria only took a handful of stingers.
“Besides, we got something much better than stingers.”
The head of the fish... no, the boss Monster of this dungeon, ‘Squama.’ The scales extracted from its body were an item that even world-famous actors were desperate to acquire. Perhaps because she had already obtained something more important than money, the person who could be called second to none in her greed willingly took a step back.
Bi-soo shot a meaningful glance at Maria with a triumphant smile, and Maria bowed her head with an embarrassed laugh. Honestly, looking at their appearances alone, I wondered if they even needed to level up further, but I guess the pursuit of beauty is endless, just like how Hunters constantly seek ‘strength.’
“This is a problem. My wife already scolds me from time to time as it is.”
Iron Arm said with a playful laugh.
“Scolds you?”
“Yes, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. I work alongside the two most beautiful Hunters in our country. She nags me, saying how happy I must be going to work.”
“Haha. You should be careful what you say at home.”
“A married man like me just needs to look good to one person, but you’re in big trouble, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon.”
“Me? Why am I...”
“Didn’t two goddesses follow you into the ‘Irregular’ team you founded? The comment sections of related articles are in an uproar." "They’re protesting, asking if you’ll only be satisfied once you have it all.”
“What are you talking about? We’re just colleagues working towards the same goal.”
“Hahaha. Hunter. Of course, you may think that way, but not everyone sees it so simply.”
Iron Arm kept bursting into laughter as if something was incredibly funny, while I stood there with a sullen face.
Hmm.
So that’s what people were thinking. To be fair, even to my eyes, Bi-soo and Maria’s looks were exceptional. Maria was a given, and I heard a fan club praising Bi-soo had recently formed.
Needless to say, I have absolutely no such (?) intentions. I’m busy enough dealing with the problems at hand; a youth romance story doesn’t suit me. Besides, I have someone more beautiful than Maria or Bi-soo.
My older sister. I’ve lived my whole life looking at that pretty face, so how could I possibly be swayed just by seeing Maria and Bi-soo? I pushed Iron Arm’s words aside and organized my thoughts.
“Hmm... Then let’s divide the stingers like this. Iron Arm and Jeong-hyeon get 30% each. Bi-soo and Maria get 15%. I’ll take 10%.”
At those words, all the members’ eyes widened.
“Huh? You’re taking even less than me and unni?”
“Hunter. That’s too unfair. You worked the hardest...”
Not just Bi-soo, but even the quiet Kang Jeong-hyeon tried to stop me. What a bunch of nice and foolish people. They should be trying to get more for themselves.
“This dungeon was harder than I thought. There were many very dangerous moments. Regardless of the outcome, I believe I had shortcomings as the leader of the Irregular team. Please accept today’s distribution as a token of my apology.”
“Ooh...”
A light of faith appeared on Iron Arm’s face. As for Kang Jeong-hyeon, who had admired me from the start, it went without saying. Especially at the words telling her to take a larger share despite already getting the ‘Squama’ scales, Bi-soo’s eyes turned into hearts.
“As expected. Following you was the best choice I ever made!”
I swiftly dodged Bi-soo's arms as she tried to hug me. My Poison Step is not so lenient as to accept such a disingenuous greeting.
“Where did he go? Our leader?!”
“You should treat me like a leader on a normal basis.”
From behind the searching Bi-soo, I pulled out a handful of stingers. I acted like a rather altruistic leader, but in reality, I was the biggest beneficiary of this dungeon. The Black Core extracted from the 8-star boss Monster, ‘Squama.’
After absorbing the creature, V1 had given me an unexpected gift.
“I don’t really have any interest.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
Supervisor Pyo Hyeok-gyu gave a bitter smile at my indifferent response. Before I founded the ‘Irregular’ team, I might have felt the need to prove my strength by fighting other Hunters, but now there was no reason. Well, I did have a desire to meet Gu Geon-yi again and properly stomp on him.
But participating in the ranking match just for that would be ridiculous. I’m not that free.
“If you already knew, why did you come all this way?”
Pyo Hyeok-gyu was waiting for me in front of my house. He must have known full well that I wasn't interested in the ranking match, so his coming all this way clearly meant there was something else.
“It seems the new Vice Chairman, Baek Jeong-dae, is planning on killing with a borrowed knife.”
“Killing with a borrowed knife?”
“Yes. It seems he intends to use the blade that is Hunter Cheon Hae-seon to weaken the power of Glory Guild.”
“Hmm.”
Using the bad blood between me and Glory to raise the stakes? It was a clever idea, in its own way. But I’m not a kid who’d be swayed by such petty grudges... well, I am young, but I’m not a fool.
“Hearing that actually makes me want to participate even less.”
“That’s right. It’s human nature to feel rebellious when someone tells you to do something you were already planning to do.”
“Which one is it?”
“Pardon?”
“The guild that Baek Jeong-dae is backing.”
For the first time, a flicker of agitation appeared on Pyo Hyeok-gyu’s face. His eyes wavered for a moment, and then a voice close to a sigh escaped him.
“I didn’t expect you to see that far. It’s something I always think whenever I see you, Hunter, but it’s as if you’re hiding your age somewhere.”
“It’s an answer that comes with a little thought. If I were the Vice Chairman, I would first think about getting along with the existing powers, not trying to forcefully create friction and drag them down. That’s a risky move for my side as well.”
The reason for taking a risk to check an existing power. The conclusion is that it’s to build up another guild.
“You are correct. From my personal investigation, Vice Chairman Baek Jeong-dae’s family and a certain guild are connected by blood.”
In short, I would wield the sword, and in the gap created while Glory Guild staggers, another guild would be raised. That was another card Baek Jeong-dae had hidden up his sleeve.
“I told him that you wouldn't agree, Hunter, but it seems he has ulterior motives and wouldn't bend.”
So, Pyo Hyeok-gyu said he made a proposal to Baek Jeong-dae. That they needed a carrot to lure Cheon Hae-seon into the ranking match.
“A carrot?”
“There is the World Hunter Forum, held once a year. For the past several years, it has been a place attended by the top brass of Glory Guild.”
“Ah. I’ve heard of it. I was under the impression that the largest guild from each country acted as the representative...”
“Standards can always be changed.”
“Oho?”
This could be considered a rather sweet carrot. I might be a big-shot Hunter in Korea now, but if I turned my eyes overseas, there would be plenty of powerhouses on a completely different level. Just watching their strength from the side would be of considerable help.
Furthermore, if I attended the forum, I might be able to obtain information about the recent increase in strange anomalies. Perhaps, even information related to Kiril.
“However, to attend the forum, you would have to secure the number one rank.”
“Haha. Are you trying to provoke me too, Supervisor?”
“Having you attend the forum, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. That is our wish as well.”
It didn’t seem like ‘we’ referred to the Hunter Association. Seeing that they were trying so hard to send me there, I had a thought that perhaps the group Pyo Hyeok-gyu belonged to was not limited to Korea.
In any case, as the man before me said, it was a meaningless story if I couldn’t get first place in the ranking.
Indeed.
Had I grown to the point where I could stand at the top of the Republic of Korea? I nodded at Pyo Hyeok-gyu.
“Alright, I’ll do it.”