There were two messages that had come to him.
[Would you be available for a call? As instructed, I gathered information related to the Greenskin Clan, and there is a matter I need to report.]
It was Kim Chun-sik, the branch manager of Blood Union.
Jeong Hyeon-su immediately called Kim Chun-sik.
— Thank you for calling despite how busy you must be. The recent performance Hunter Jeong Hyeon-su has shown…
“What is the matter?”
— Ah, I forgot that you had spared your precious time and became needlessly talkative. I apologize. A recent report has come in that an orc hunting ogres has appeared in a Gate where ogres appear.
“An orc hunting ogres?”
A strange light settled in Jeong Hyeon-su’s eyes.
— Yes. It is the testimony of a survivor who escaped from Soraesan Gate, which appeared in Bucheon. Its credibility is high. Also, I hear Hanul has submitted a request to the Gate Administration to subjugate Soraesan Gate.
Naturally, he had not told Kim Chun-sik more information than necessary.
— Yes. Aside from that, unfortunately, no other information related to the Overlord has come in yet.
At this time in his previous life, Jeong Hyeon-su had been living a life that was, in the truest sense, confined to his room.
It was because Jeong Cheol had half-sealed him away after he had fallen for Songgwang’s scheme and inflicted a fatal blow on Garam.
‘If it had been me, I would have killed even my own child. Should I be grateful?’
Because of that, he did not know the fine details of the Hunter world during this period.
For information on that part, he could simply use Blood Union. In the first place, he only needed to remember the major and important matters.
[A guest from Hanul has arrived. Come over as soon as you confirm this.]
The last message was from Jeong Cheol.
‘Hanul.’
They had probably come to express their gratitude because he had saved Ji Min-jeong, who had fallen into danger because of Ling Wehao.
It felt as though things were progressing quite smoothly, since he had conveniently made Hanul, the giant guild based in the western part of the metropolitan area and holder of the clear rights to Soraesan Gate, indebted to him.
When he opened the door to the guild master’s office and entered, the people inside came into view.
Leaving the seat of honor empty, Jeong Cheol and Ji Sang-uk, the guild master of Hanul Guild, sat facing each other.
There were also Kwon Gang-pal, Garam’s deputy guild master, and Ji Min-jeong, Ji Sang-uk’s only daughter and the woman expected to inherit Hanul.
“Did you come after training?”
At Kwon Gang-pal’s words as he stood with his arms crossed, Jeong Hyeon-su nodded.
“At least these days, you are even pretending to do it.”
Though Kwon Gang-pal was satisfied by the strong smell of sweat and the heat that had not yet faded from his body, he grumbled for no reason.
Remembering how Kwon Gang-pal had fiercely resisted until the moment of his death to protect Garam, Jeong Hyeon-su merely smiled faintly and answered.
“I have to, if I want to catch up.”
With those words, Jeong Hyeon-su sat down nearby.
By coincidence, it was beside Ji Min-jeong.
“You brat, even so, guests are here. You should have washed up first!”
“What does it matter? I will only sweat again.”
“So the secret behind stirring up the entire industry lately was training after all. No, Chairman Jeong. What exactly is going on? I heard you were suffering from worry over your child. Was that all a smokescreen?”
At Hanul’s guild master Ji Sang-uk’s words, Jeong Cheol smiled bitterly.
“Is this the first time we are meeting in person? I am Ji Sang-uk.”
“I am Jeong Hyeon-su.”
Jeong Hyeon-su was exceedingly plain in his greeting, but Ji Sang-uk did not seem to care much about that.
“You are completely different from what I heard. In any case, those media people never do their jobs properly despite taking all that money. To call such a manly person what? A hopeless scoundrel? I will have to meet the president of Hunter Daily at once.”
He looked like a noisy old man who talked too much and made a fuss, but in truth, Ji Sang-uk was a top-level mage in South Korea, overshadowed only by Seon Woo-hyeon.
“The reason I came here and asked to see your face was to express my gratitude. I am deeply grateful that you saved Hanul, and my daughter, in the Tower.”
“I merely did what had to be done.”
Ji Sang-uk looked at Ji Min-jeong.
At that gaze, Ji Min-jeong lowered her head.
“…Thank you for helping Hanul.”
Jeong Hyeon-su did not bother responding to Ji Min-jeong’s words.
“…”
He could feel Ji Min-jeong’s gaze fixed on him, but his objective lay with Soraesan Gate.
“To be honest, it is awkward to say this, but if there is anything you want to ask of me, you may say it. As the master of Hanul in name and fact, should I not pay the price for my daughter’s life?”
“Then may I ask one favor?”
“Jeong Hyeon-su.”
Jeong Cheol tried to stop him with a deliberately stern gaze, but Ji Sang-uk held him back, saying it was all right.
“Ha ha, no. I am not a man who says two things with one mouth, so speak.”
Ignoring Jeong Cheol’s gaze, which seemed to say he would never tolerate any nonsense, Jeong Hyeon-su opened his mouth.
“I applied to enter the Gate that appeared at Soraesan, but someone else had already arrived first.”
“Someone else?”
At that, Ji Min-jeong immediately spoke.
“It is a B-Rank Gate scheduled to be cleared by our guild four days from now.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The head of a giant guild on Hanul’s level was not an idle position.
Therefore, in most cases, whether to clear Dungeons below B-Rank was decided by executives below the deputy guild master, and only notable results were reported to the guild master.
“Are you saying that you want us to yield the clear rights to that Gate to you, Hyeon-su?”
Honestly, depending on how one looked at it, it might not have been a difficult matter.
However, every action between guilds was a contest of strength, politics, and part of management.
Especially the authority to clear, which was like the lifeblood of a guild. Receiving that authority was a fairly sensitive matter.
“…No. Rather, I would be satisfied if you included me as well.”
Before Jeong Cheol could thunder at him, Jeong Hyeon-su stated his opinion. Ji Sang-uk smiled faintly.
“That is not difficult. I will tell the clear party leader to contact you, so you can participate then. What is your opinion, Chairman Jeong?”
“My son still lacks much. I am concerned that he may cause trouble for you.”
“That is how one grows, is it not? Ha ha ha! Then I will take my leave.”
Ji Sang-uk rose from his seat and put on his fedora.
On the surface, it looked like an ordinary luxury-brand product, but it was the treasure known as the “Crown of Mantra,” the sacred treasure of Hanul’s guild master.
Later, Hunter Association President Seon Woo-hyeon would use it, and during the final war, it would display tremendous power.
‘In the end, that bastard must have coveted it.’
Hanul, too, would later weaken very naturally and disappear, but Jeong Hyeon-su was certain that Seon Woo-hyeon had been behind it.
The prey targeted by an enemy was no different from an ally.
“Please travel safely.”
“Then let us meet again.”
After Ji Sang-uk and Ji Min-jeong left, silence descended for a moment over Garam’s office.
“…May I leave if you have nothing more to say?”
Jeong Cheol stared intently at his son and asked, “Why do you think Chairman Ji came?”
Jeong Hyeon-su wore an expression of boundless annoyance.
However, as if there was no chance of letting him off, Jeong Cheol gazed at Jeong Hyeon-su with clear eyes.
“Ha. He was grateful, of course, but he must have been curious about the identity of someone like me who suddenly appeared. Looking at my actions so far, I will clearly have an impact on the next generation. A man who had lived as a hopeless scoundrel until now suddenly became a top-ranked prospect, so he probably came to see me in person and secure a position in advance. He has a fairly pretty daughter, after all.”
“…Your perspective has certainly broadened. However, you need to be more careful with your words.”
From Jeong Hyeon-su’s point of view, having lived as the king of wanted criminals and survived in a world driven to the brink of ruin, that had been a statement he had chosen with great care. But he could not explain that, and even if he did, there was no way it would be understood.
“…”
“Answer me.”
“…Yes. I will try. But I think it may be somewhat difficult…”
He had certainly changed from before, and there were many positive aspects.
However, in proportion to that, he had gained a stubbornness that could not be compared to the past.
Not watching his father’s mood and saying no when something was wrong was certainly important as a man’s conviction, but if he acted that way even regarding basic manners, it could only make one’s head ache.
“Brother, how could something like this be fixed overnight? With patience, step by step…”
“Who are you to say that?”
“No, why is the spark flying toward me…?”
“If there is nothing more, I will go.”
“Keep this clearly in mind. When you are with Hanul, you represent Garam.”
Jeong Hyeon-su bowed politely, then went outside.
Kwon Gang-pal gave a hollow laugh as he watched him.
“Even after seeing it, it is hard to believe. Is that really the same blockhead from before? It feels as though he has become a blockhead in a different way, but I like what I see. As long as he does not change from this.”
Jeong Cheol merely listened silently and fell briefly into thought.
“But what will you do now? Hanul’s proposal is clearly something only a fool would refuse.”
“…Marriage.”
“Ah, among the Ten Great Guilds, are we not the only ones not tied by blood? And if the direct lines on both sides join through this opportunity, who could defeat us? Besides, they do not even have a son.”
“They mention marriage, but ultimately, it is nothing more than an agreement to test Hyeon-su and claim him first.”
“That much means the value that boy holds cannot be ignored.”
“However, I am worried.”
Jeong Cheol looked out the window for a moment.
Right now, they treated him as an unprecedented prospect.
But he knew all too well how the public would react if Jeong Hyeon-su’s momentum faltered even slightly.
“Ah, is that not why we are here?”
“That is true.”
With those words, Jeong Cheol called the secretary’s office.
“Find any Gates related to orcs and ogres that can currently be cleared.”
It was Jeong Cheol’s thought that nothing would be more necessary than preliminary practice for his son, who would be participating with Hanul.
“…Guild Master. Young Master Hyeon-su says he does not need it.”
“What? A fellow who must not have seen even a single orc until now says what?”
Kwon Gang-pal, dumbfounded, immediately sprang from his seat and set off to find Jeong Hyeon-su.
“Hey, Jeong Hyeon-su, you bastard! Just because your results have been good lately, do not grow arrogant… Huh?”
FLASH!
As if he had been waiting, Jeong Hyeon-su was transmitted away to climb the Tower.
[The fifth floor of the Tower of Trials, the Language Foundation Zone, will now begin.]
Blank stone tablets were visible everywhere.
It was also the place where those devoured by the Tower were sealed after having their names taken, until they moved according to commands.
That command was, of course, to repel intruders.
CRACK!
A hand emerged from beneath a stone tablet, and the beings that climbed up onto the ground with their hands planted against the earth were called Nameless Stone Spirits.
They were known as the symbol of tiresome Undead that continued reviving no matter how much they were attacked, and they were called the nightmare of rookies.
But the gimmick to solve it was the same as on the lower floors until now.
‘Name Engraving.’
The condition had become a little more difficult.
Jeong Hyeon-su’s fist, unleashing the Heavenly Tyrant Ghost King Art, struck a Stone Spirit.
Fragments scattered as the Stone Spirit split apart from its center.
“Your name is 5-1.”
The moment he bestowed a name upon the first Stone Spirit of the fifth floor, it was liberated and blocked another attack from the front like a shield.
BANG!
From behind it, he unleashed the Heavenly Tyrant Ghost King Art, turned another one into fragments, and engraved a name just before it revived.
However, the fifth floor was not such a simple place.
The area that appeared beyond the forest of stone tablets.
[You are entering the Corridor of Silence.]
And beyond it, a single building could be seen.
‘The Library of Silence.’
A Tower library that might contain clues related to the Quest could never be passed by.
RUMBLE!
Beyond it, something opened its eyes.