Listening to his officers' objections, Min-chan nodded once.
"Yes, a State-Power-Class Hunter is regarded as a being on par with a nuclear weapon. He has a major effect on national strength, too. I hear that because of Park Kang-hyeok, Korea's national power has surpassed Japan's."
The figure for national power had overtaken that of their rival, Japan.
In a Korea that possessed no nuclear weapons, a nuclear-grade force had suddenly appeared.
Naturally, Japan had no choice but to grow wary of the nation that was Korea.
And China, which held a State-Power-Class Hunter of its own, was said to be keeping a close eye on the Korean Peninsula, too.
"In the end, all we need is for a being to be born who can replace Park Kang-hyeok. If I kill him, I'll gain a massive amount of skill experience. In other words, within a few years, I could become a State-Power-Class Hunter myself."
"Ah......!"
"The only chance to eliminate him is now. Once I become a State-Power-Class Hunter, I'll crush Goguryeo and Hwarang and make Teinen Guild the number-one guild in Korea. I'll aid your growth as well. Will you stand with me?"
Min-chan regarded his officers with a sinister smile.
"I'm with you!"
Beginning with Seong-ho's booming reply—
"I'm with you too!"
"And I......!"
A great many S-rank Hunters chose to join Min-chan's plan.
Even the S-rank Hunters who'd raised objections had no choice but to go along with the current.
Their opponent was a State-Power-Class Hunter.
Newly Re-Awakened or not, he warranted ample caution.
'Still, with this many of us......'
'Even Park Kang-hyeok won't be able to hold out.'
Seong-ho clenched his fist, eyes glinting.
'I'll tear your limbs off and kill you.'
While Teinen Guild devised its operation, Kang-hyeok was issuing weapons, armor, and Inner Cores to the newly summoned Homunculi.
The existing guild members taught the Black Moon Sword Art to the new ones.
"Raise your arm properly!"
"Swing the blade the right way!"
While the new members drilled the Black Moon Sword Art, Kang-hyeok checked the payment that had come into his account and let out a dry laugh.
"1.7 billion won......"
It was the payment for the Mana Stones he'd sold.
Kang-hyeok deposited 5 million won each into the accounts of his existing guild members.
They needed to buy necessities too, after all.
The rest of the cash he'd leave untouched.
He ought to save some.
If he wanted to buy a proper building, that is.
He'd need an officetel building for lodgings, too.
Before heading home, Kang-hyeok stopped by his parents' shop.
"You're back early today?"
"Just had a short meeting and clocked out."
"You built a guild, I hear. Getting along with everyone?"
"Of course. Once I set up a proper office, I'll invite you over."
"All right, but don't overdo it."
"Take these."
"What did you bring now? Stop buying things and save your money......"
His mother lost her words for a moment.
"I already bought the apartment. I've got a car too. And I made over 50 million won on this last expedition."
The net profit, of course, was in the hundreds of millions.
"I'm planning to clear a Dungeon Gate once this month. When I get back from that, I'll be earning even more. Oh, and I sent you some spending money, so......"
"What spending money! The money you gave last time was more than enough to pay off all our debts!"
"I just went through the motions. I put a little into each of your accounts."
He'd deposited 2 million won into each of his parents' accounts.
"Well then, I'll be off."
Kang-hyeok walked to an apartment complex two or three kilometers from the one where his parents lived.
It was only a few hundred meters from his parents' shop.
The apartment Kang-hyeok lived in was also a thirty-pyeong unit, with four bedrooms.
"......Should I get married?"
He was no longer human.
As a Dragon-Demonkin, he'd live for up to ten thousand years or more.
Living alone that whole time would get tedious.
For a moment, the wives of his past life flitted through his mind.
Two of them had been Homunculi.
Unlike the settings in various novels and comics, the Homunculi Kang-hyeok summoned could bear children.
In his past life, countless Homunculi had built families and lived happy lives.
"......"
Compared to the Heavenly Demon God Palace he'd dwelled in during his past life, the apartment he now lived in was downright shabby.
Yet for some reason, this space of a mere thirty pyeong felt far too spacious.
Kang-hyeok ordered food on his phone, then sat on the living room sofa and watched a drama.
Eating delivery food and watching the drama, the time passed quickly.
"Time to sleep."
The moment midnight struck, Kang-hyeok went to his bedroom and slept.
Afterward, he woke at 8 a.m., rested until 10, then leisurely headed in to GH Guild's First Headquarters.
The only thing he did once at work was manage the guild members' condition.
After that, he killed time alone in the office, scrolling through social media or playing games on the computer.
Two days passed like that.
Two more buses had been ordered and added.
The new guild members hurried down to the underground lot.
"Did you bring the loudspeakers?"
"Yes, all five of them."
"Check the gear one more time, and confirm the potion supply too."
"Yes, understood."
Arbon set the guild members to their inspections.
The moment it hit 9 a.m., the bus drivers arrived.
"Everyone, board the buses!"
Six drivers in total pulled the buses out of the underground lot.
The destination was an A-grade Dungeon Gate located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province; the six buses drove toward it in a row.
Just then, a driver glanced at Kang-hyeok.
"Are you...... by any chance S1-rank Hunter Park Kang-hyeok?"
GH Guild had already been in the news.
Reporters were hiding around GH Guild's headquarters, hoping to photograph Park Kang-hyeok.
His face had never been captured, though.
They moved as discreetly as possible, after all.
"Yes, that's right."
"Ah......! I-It's an honor to meet a State-Power-Class Hunter. Might I get a photo......"
"My apologies. A photo would be difficult."
The driver looked a little disappointed.
"Being a celebrity's no easy thing, I suppose. These days Hunters get treated a lot like entertainers — some of you even show up on variety shows and in ads......"
To the driver's chatter, Kang-hyeok only nodded a few times.
He offered nothing in particular.
When they reached the destination, the GH Guild members poured out of the buses.
"Come pick us up the day after tomorrow."
"Yes, understood. Take care in there."
Kang-hyeok looked over his guild members.
"Move out!"
The guild members took up their packs one by one, faces composed.
There was no need for separate porters.
The new members had packed all the camping gear, daily necessities, and provisions.
The Mana Stones, too, the members would carry back in their packs.
The by-products as well.
As Kang-hyeok's group entered the Gate, the bus drivers left the Gate management station at once.
And an hour later, Teinen Guild's S-rank Hunters arrived at the station.
"Go on in. The CCTV is all shut down. In an hour, the Association will send a repair technician. When he comes, I'll stall for time, so...... you'll need to be out within three hours at the latest."
"Understood."
S1-rank Hunter Kim Min-chan and the twenty-two S-rank Hunters following him all moved toward the Gate.
"You've checked your weapons?"
At Min-chan's question, the Hunters nodded in unison.
"Let's go."
Min-chan's group stepped through the Gate.
The station employee broke into a cold sweat.
He'd guessed Teinen Guild's purpose.
They meant to kill a GH Guild member...... no, Hunter Park Kang-hyeok.
Why on earth were they after Hunter Park Kang-hyeok?
He couldn't fathom the reason, but to cover his own crime, the employee prepared for the worst.
***
WEEEEEEEEEOOOO—!
The dungeon GH Guild had reserved was a place of vast plains and forest.
The moment he entered the Gate, Min-chan narrowed his eyes at the massive siren blaring in his ears.
What in the world was that sound?
"M-Master!"
At the members' call, Min-chan turned toward the source of the noise.
"What is that......"
In the middle of the plain, a countless swarm of monsters was gathering.
A drive hunt?
Among the monsters, a number of A- to B-rank ones were mixed in as well.
"That's fucking crazy......"
At the utterly bizarre sight, Lee Seong-ho muttered a curse.
Just then,
Thoom—!
An immense mana pressed down on the monsters.
Spread out in every direction, the GH Guild members cut down the monsters and leveled up.
Watching, Min-chan confirmed it.
'Those otherworlders have the same status system as us Earthlings!'
The problem was the training method.
It was rare for a guild master to personally train his guild members.
And pinning down that many monsters — A- to B-rank ones included — with mana alone was impossible even for S1-rank Hunters.
"Once they've cut down the monsters, we launch our attack at once!"
"Yes, understood!"
The distance to GH Guild's side was only a few kilometers.
But even raising their voices, the other side wouldn't hear them.
The blaring siren and the monsters' cries were drowning out Min-chan's group.
After some tens of minutes, the monsters' numbers had dwindled noticeably.
"Now!"
At the same moment as Min-chan's shout, Lee Seong-ho gripped his staff, eyes blazing.
'I will kill you, no matter what!'
Closing the distance to GH Guild's side, they unleashed their attacks on Min-chan's hand signal.
"Hraaah!"
A golden slash flew from the greatsword Min-chan swung.
At the same time, spells of every kind shot into the sky and rained down on GH Guild's side.
An attack like this, even a State-Power-Class Hunter couldn't easily block.
"Die!"
At Lee Seong-ho's voice, an enormous slash came flying from the opposite direction.
KABOOOM—!
"Gyaaagh!"
"Wh-What the—!"
At the great explosion before them, Min-chan's group hastily dropped low.
"Scatter! Scatter and resume the attack!"
"Yes, understood!"
At Min-chan's order, the Hunters scattered in every direction.
In that instant,
BAM!
A jet-black slash came tearing through the explosion.
'A black...... slash?'
The mana in the slash was staggering.
Enough to raise gooseflesh.
Min-chan cut off his thoughts and hurriedly swung his greatsword.
"B-Block it!"
SHWAAAA—!
Min-chan swung his greatsword again and again, loosing slash after slash.
But his slashes couldn't destroy the black one.
"F-Fuck!"
He tried belatedly to flee, but Min-chan and the S-rank Hunters around him were swallowed by the black slash.
KABOOOM!
Blown away by the blast's aftershock, Seong-ho gritted his teeth and pressed himself flat against the ground.
"Guhk......!"
Seong-ho slowly lifted his head.
"What the......"
Teinen Guild's master, Kim Min-chan, was gone.
The S2-rank Hunters who had guarded his side were nowhere to be seen either.
Where had they gone?
Had they charged at Park Kang-hyeok?
Or...... had they retreated?
As Seong-ho slowly raised his upper body, he found crimson blood scattered around him.
"Th-This is......"
It wasn't a monster's.
The monsters were a considerable distance away to begin with.
Blood couldn't have splashed this far.
Which meant......
"H-He got them?"
Kim Min-chan, one of Korea's strongest Hunters?
Seong-ho's body trembled.
Had they not scattered, he too might have lost his life.