9-16

9-16

Chapter 9

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

"Where to now?" Ho Sung asked, looking back at Min Sung in the back seat.

"Is the bank a safe place to keep my money?" the champion asked.

"As safe as it can be. The Hunters' Institute does everything within their power to enforce regulations. That makes their lives easier. Besides, they're the ones at the top of the food chain right now."

"What does that mean?"

"Hm… So, there are a total of five institutes currently: the Central Hunters' Institute, which protects the capital region, and those that control the suburbs outside of that region, East, West, North, and South. The hunters who are part of the Institute are incredibly powerful and high level, and their higher-ups are the ones who essentially took over the country."

"What about the law?"

"I mean, it's around, I guess. It's just a name, though. It doesn't mean anything to the hunters, and it can't control them in any way. Haha… Though, citizens and lower-level hunters still abide by the law. Even then, being a hunter, regardless of level, gives one an advantage. After all, they're the warriors who protect this country from danger."

Min Sung nodded affirmatively and asked, "So, from what I'm gathering, the bank is a safe place, right?"

"That's right."

"Then, we'll go to the bank first."

"Understood," Ho Sung replied and started the car. The bank wasn't all that far from the Institute. After parking the car, Min Sung and Ho Sung went into the bank, and with Ho Sung's help, the champion opened an account and got himself a check card.

"Where to next?" Ho Sung asked.

"I need a phone."

"Yes, sir!" Ho Sung replied immediately. Driving the champion around to the nearest places, he helped Min Sung get things done in the most efficient way possible. At which point, it dawned on Min Sung just how useful Ho Sung could be. Naturally, as soon as Min Sung opened a new line, Ho Sung's number was the first to end up in his new phone.

"What were the last four digits of your number?"

"It's 5312."

Then, putting the phone in his pocket, Min Sung once again got in the back seat of Ho Sung's car.

"Where to next…?"

"I have to pay my taxes."

Thanks to Ho Sung's help, all the problems that had been on Min Sung's mind were practically solving itself in no time at all. Soon, the champion's trust in Ho Sung's ability to read the room and be proactive started to grow.

—

"Sir? Would you mind if I had a smoke before I take you home…?"

"Suit yourself."

"Thank you," Ho Sung said, bowing politely to Min Sung. Then, getting out of the car, he placed a cigarette in his mouth, lit it in a hurry, took a drag, and looked up at the sky.

"Son of a bitch…" he let out. Being the head of a clan, dealing with another person's chores, such as opening a new phone line and paying taxes, was hurting his pride, to say the least.

"Sigh…"

Blowing the smoke out, Ho Sung glanced at Min Sung in the back seat of his car.

'Now that he has my number, he's gonna call me whenever he needs something done. What do I do? Man, how did I get myself into this? Is this what my life's gonna be like until I die?' he thought, smoking his cigarette in distress.

'Wait… he mentioned something about running into some goons. Did he run into the people from the Shadow Guild? I better ask.'

Smoking every inch of his cigarette, Ho Sung let out a long exhale and got in his car with a racing heart.

"Uh… Sir?" he called to Min Sung, who looked at him in response.

"Those goons that you ran into… Who were they like? What did they look like?"

"Why do you ask?"

"If I know them, I figured I might be able to shine some light on the matter."

"I don't remember their names, but one of them had a title: The Machete of Blood and Iron, or something to that effect. He brought about ten of his underlings, saying that I needed to go somewhere with them. You know anything about those guys?"

At that, Ho Sung started to break out into cold sweats.

Yang Bong Koo, The Machete of Blood and Iron. Ho Sung knew about him better than anyone else. Having a background as a mercenary, he was a hired hand of the Central Hunters' Institute.

"If he was there, the Shadow Guild must be behind this. Wait a minute! You… didn't kill him, did you?" Ho Sung asked.

"No, I let him live for bringing me two roasted eggs and a soda."

"…!?"

"Why do you

Advertisement

ask?"

"N-nothing."

Despite being over level 300, an idol and a role model of those who failed to get into the institute, even Yang Bong Koo had been reduced to doing the champion's chores. Just how powerful was that man?

'I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He took out nine of my clansmen with a single blow,' Ho Sung thought. Common sense didn't apply to the champion, and that made him even more intimidating.

"Let's get going," Min Sung said.

"Where to?"

"I think I'll grab some lunch before I head home."

"Hm, I know a few places in the area. If the place we're going to doesn't suit your taste, then please don't hesitate to tell me. I'll take you to a different restaurant immediately," Ho Sung said, and Min Sung nodded as he made himself comfortable in the backseat.

"All right, then. Off we go!" Ho Sung said enthusiastically, yet he seemed deathly pale.

—

Looking at the report, Kyung Tae Oh, the supervisor of the Shadow Guild Headquarters, furrowed his brow. In front of him, was Yang Bong Koo, the man of the infamous machete, with a dark expression on his face. Looking at the hunter, Kyung Tae poked the report with his index finger and said, "The report says that this man was level 150. I… don't know how to make sense of all this. You, Mr. Koo, a level 301 hunter! And you had ten, level 200 interns with you? This is baffling to me."

"He broke my machete barehanded while the Sword Aura was still active," Yang Bong replied.

"Look, Mr. Koo. I get that you're embarrassed, but don't you think that's a little absu…"

"… I'm not lying," Yang Bong said in a serious tone. At that moment, the smile on the supervisor's face hardened.

"What else do you have for me aside from what's already on the report?" he asked.

"What you're seeing is all I got."

With that hardened expression on his face, Kyung Tae briefly immersed himself in thought, waving his hand as if fanning himself.

"OK. You may go."

With his supervisor's permission, the hunter bowed and exited the office. Leaning back in his chair, Kyung Tae stared at the report confused.

"Were master grade hunters always this powerful? The only thing setting them apart is their growth rate. This is unusual…" he said to himself while tapping on his desk. "It's obviously not gonna be easy to bring him in, yet I hardly know anything about him. This complicates things…"

After some thought, he came up with a solution. If that man really was a hunter of the highest grade, recruiting him would be the most profitable course of action. Besides, it would bring Kyung Tae the most credit, which would be as substantial as getting him promoted into the Classified Intelligence Unit. Although intelligence was what kept the Shadow Guild up and running, the guild would surely grow even stronger with the addition of a powerful hunter.

Slamming his hand on the table, he said, "Gotta be creative to get by these days," his eyes glaring dangerously.

—

As Ho Sung parked the car, Min Sung got out and looked up at the restaurant's sign.

[People's Sushi]

A very subtle smile appeared on the champion's face as he thought, 'I knew I could count on him.'

Much like the previous restaurant, even the entrance gave off a welcoming vibe. Humble and clean, the sliding door was made of light-toned wood, which seemed fitting for the restaurant. On top of that, the humble name gave the impression that the chef would be a skilled artisan.

"This place isn't all that fancy, but they really know their sushi here. If you prefer a different atmosphere, then I know a higher-end sushi restaurant…"

"No, this will do."

"Yes, sir," Ho Sung said with a bow. After closing the door, Min Sung made his way toward the restaurant.

"Enjoy your meal, sir. I'll be waiting outside," Ho Sung said, and Min Sung went into the restaurant without saying anything in response. As the champion disappeared from sight, Ho Sung looked up with an absentminded look on his face. If he were to describe the current state of his soul, it would be that of a dying blade of grass in a barren, drought-stricken land. Chuckling as if giving up, he pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Then, just as he was about to light it, he heard the thunderous roar of an engine in the distance. When he looked toward where the sound was coming from, he saw a yellow Porsche coming toward the restaurant.

—

"Irashaimase!*" a man wearing a white bandana on his head shouted enthusiastically in Japanese as Min Sung walked into the restaurant. Since he was alone, Min Sung sat at the bar across the only chef in the restaurant, who was also the owner. Although the exterior had given off the impression that there would've been a man well-advanced in age making sushi for his customers, the man on the other side of the bar looked significantly younger from what Min Sung had expected. Looking up, he saw a large picture in a frame near the ceiling. Including the man in front of Min Sung, there were a total of three men in the picture, and seeing as though they were all wearing chefs' uniforms, sushi making seemed to have been passed down through generations. From the look of it, it was likely that the young man on the other side of the bar was the third generation of owners of the restaurant. Feeling like he'd been invited to the home of a family whose sushi-making spanned a number of generations, Min Sung felt his expectations soar through the roof.

Looking at the menu, which was also made of the same, light-toned wood as the door, the champion opened it, revealing the neat letters within it. The inconsistencies in the handwriting were telling Min Sung that the letters had been carved by hand.

"Take your time," a short, young woman said to the champion politely as she placed the water and water cup on the counter. Then, as he poured himself a cup, he saw a standing sign that read:

[Today's Deluxe Sushi Platter]

'Flounder, Sweet Shrimp, Red Snapper, Bluefin Tuna, Salmon Belly, Fluke Fin, King Crab, Razor Clam, Marinated Shrimp, Mackerel.'

At that point, the decision became obvious. When he raised his hand, the same young woman walked over to Min Sung in a hurry.

"Can I take your order?" she asked politely and with a welcoming smile.

"I'll have the deluxe sushi platter, and an order of seasonal udon."

"So, our deluxe sushi platter comes with a half-size serving of udon. Would you still like to order the full-size serving on the side?"

"Then, I'll just have the deluxe sushi platter."

At that, the woman bowed politely with the same welcoming smile and took the menu from Min Sung. Sipping his water, the champion waited for his sushi patiently, looking around the restaurant and at the chef, who was in the process of making sushi. Focused and unhindered, there was a sharp glare in the chef's eyes. It was that unwavering concentration that enabled the chef to create state-of-the-art sushi. In the end, Min Sung watched the chef from beginning to end, and soon, his deluxe sushi platter, along with a small bowl of udon soup, made its way to his table.

Chapter 10

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

A series of beautifully made sushi lined up neatly on a thick wooden platter. It was truly a piece of art. Then, while Min Sung was looking down at the glossy surface of the rice and sashimi of each piece of sushi with excitement, a small concern crept into his mind. His diet in the Demonic Realm had consisted entirely of the raw flesh of dead monsters, and sure enough, sushi was also raw.

'What if I still have a trauma of eating things raw?'

Thankfully, he didn't find the sushi in front of him repulsive, which was a good sign.

'Only one way to find out,' the champion thought to himself as he lifted his chopsticks slowly, trying to decide which one to try first. At that moment, just as he decided to start with the razor clam, the door of the restaurant flung open, and Min Sung looked toward the man who had come into the restaurant.

'Lv412 Kyung Tae Oh: Supervisor of the Shadow Guild Headquarters'

Recognizing the name of the guild, Min Sung speculated that there could only be one reason for a Shadow Guild member to come to the restaurant.

'He must be looking for me. This is getting really old,' he thought to himself. Meanwhile, upon finding Min Sung sitting alone at the bar, a slightly nervous look appeared on Kyung Tae's face. A heavy-yet-sharp tension started to fill the restaurant.

'Should I just finish him off, right now?' Min Sung thought. However, he quickly scrapped that idea, thinking, 'I wouldn't want there to be blood, especially when I'm about to eat.' At that moment, the supervisor of the Shadow Guild approached the champion with a big smile on his face.

—

Meantime, looking anxious, Ho Sung chain smoked outside the restaurant. Upon arriving at the restaurant in his yellow Porsche, Kyung Tae Oh had asked him the whereabouts of the champion and had gone into the restaurant without hesitation.

The fact that Kyung Tae Oh, a supporter whose strength wasn't in combat, had turned up alone could only mean one thing: he was there to recruit Min Sung Kang. Shaking his leg anxiously, Ho Sung smoked his cigarette while wondering if the champion would take the supervisor's offer. If it had been an ordinary person, they would've accepted it without thinking twice, especially when the offer came with terms that were almost too good to be true. However, Min Sung was far from ordinary.

In a positive term, he was unique. In a negative term, he was closer to being insane than most people. It only made sense Ho Sung would be worried and anxious. Should the champion decide to hurt the supervisor, things would be bound to blow out of proportion. Since Ho Sung himself had been taking orders from Min Sung against his will, the thought of the champion being at odds with the Shadow Guild alone made Ho Sung shudder. The head of the Diamond Clan being by the champion couldn't possibly reflect well on him.

'Please, God. Either make him accept the offer, or have him turn it down quietly like a civilized person!' Ho Sung prayed earnestly.

—

"Hello, there! Kyung Tae Oh, from the Shadow Guild," Kyung Tae said, handing a business card to Min Sung as he sat next to the champion. However, pouring soy sauce into a small bowl and mixing it with wasabi, Min Sung paid no attention to the supervisor intruding in his space. Irked by his lack of response, Kyung Tae's eyebrows and cheek started to twitch, and his expression hardened. Then, he pushed his glasses up, regained his composure, and said, "I came here to make you an offer."

Instead of giving him an answer,

Advertisement

Min Sung picked up the razor clam sushi with his chopsticks, dipped it in the soy sauce mixed with wasabi, and put it in his mouth. The rice ball broke apart in his mouth as he chewed, and the razor clam made itself known with its tender, bouncy texture.

"Ah…!" Min Sung let out, realizing that he had been worrying over nothing. The raw monster meat was nowhere near comparable to the freshness of the sashimi, which was refreshing and bursting with divine flavors.

'What was I thinking? The food here is at a whole new level compared to what I used to eat in the Demonic Realm this last century.'

"Uhm, s-sir? Mr. Kang?" Kyung Tae called to the champion. However, Min Sung was completely preoccupied with deciding what to eat next.

"I'm here because I wanted to give you an opportunity to be part of our team, the Shadow Guild. I apologize for being abrupt earlier. That was rude of me. Because I'm still getting to know you…" Kyung Tae said, stopping mid-sentence as Min Sung brought another piece of sushi up to his mouth.

As his teeth sank into the unagi, Min Sung felt his body vibrate. The deep, rich aroma of the freshwater eel lingered in his mouth and tickled his nose. It was so fresh that he could almost feel the vivid movement of its tail. Not only was it perfectly seasoned, but there was not a trace of fishiness to be found. Although a piece of basic sushi, it made for a remarkable experience. On top of that, the eel couldn't be any fresher, which was bound to leave those eating it in a state of euphoria.

"Mr. Kang? We'll make this worth your while. You'll be able to make much more money than on your own, not to mention the convenience. Not only can we bring you the fame and power that you deserve…"

Deeply satisfied by the heavenly experience of the sushi, Min Sung continued to pay no attention to the supervisor. Instead, he picked up the small bowl of udon soup with one of his hands and started to slurp the noodles away with his chopsticks held by the other. As the noodles got sucked into the champion's mouth, Kyung Tae watched him in a daze. Soon, having eaten half of the noodles, Min Sung guzzled down the broth and reached for yet another piece of sushi. At which point, Kyung Tae remained silent, speaking no further.

Meanwhile, a fluke fin sushi went into the champion's mouth. As he started chewing, Min Sung closed his eyes and let out a sharp exhale. It was truly delectable. The aroma of the fish was as fragrant as a flower, and the firm texture of the meat made for a rich experience for his teeth and tongue. Then, he swallowed what was in his mouth and moved on to the flounder. However, he couldn't help but furrow his brow that time.

'I've made a mistake,' he thought to himself as a wave of disappointment washed over him. The subtle flavors of the flounder were getting buried by the intense flavors of the sushi he had eaten before it. Although the fish was still fresh and bouncy, he couldn't help but feel underwhelmed.

'I should've had the flounder first,' he said to himself that time, thinking more cautiously about what to eat next. However, it didn't take long at all for him to make up his mind.

"Mr. Kang,' Kyung Tae called to the champion, but Min Sung still paid no attention to him. Instead, he moved on to the red snapper, thinking, 'The flounder was much subtler in flavor, so it shouldn't mask the flavor of the red snapper in any way.'

Just as he had expected, his choice turned out to be massively rewarding. Not only was it firm in texture, but there was also a sweetness to the meat. Fitting to its reputation as a high-end fish, the flavors of red snapper were as luxurious as its price. 'What's next?' Min Sung asked himself, looking at the remaining sushi in front of him. Without hesitation, he grabbed the sweet shrimp, which was chewy, yet tender and sweet.

Moving right on to the next piece of sushi, he indulged himself with a generously thick slice of salmon belly garnished with onion and a white sauce. Biting into the fat, buttery salmon was extremely rewarding, and the fresh aroma was second to none, putting a smile on the champion's face. Next, was the king crab. Upon picking it up, Min Sung was struck by the thought: 'The smell is a lot more potent than I thought.' It had to be the addition of the insides of the crab. Nevertheless, it was quite delicious. Every single piece of sushi thus far had been worth every penny. Seeing the bluefin tuna, marinated shrimp and mackerel on the platter, Min Sung chose the marinated shrimp, which was heavily seasoned. The freshness of the shrimp was preserved, and perhaps even accentuated, by the soy sauce with which it had been pickled. It was a prime example of using soy sauce as a seasoning.

With that, he moved on to the mackerel. Although the pink flesh underneath the dark-blue skin was rather charming, the mackerel and its distinct aroma were especially polarizing for sushi lovers. Having heard his late grandmother, whose favorite food had been sashimi, talking about raw mackerel in his childhood, Min Sung was able to eat it without hesitation. To his surprise…

"Huh…!"

… the flavors were splendid.

'I would've hated this growing up. Maybe it's grown on me,' he thought. The finely-aged mackerel took him right back to his childhood. With the unexpected discovery, the champion took a sip of water and looked down at the last piece of sushi on the platter. After finishing off the rest of the udon soup, he smacked his lips and picked up the bluefin tuna: the grand finale.

Known for its fine grain of meat, bluefin tuna was one of the most highly-prized fish. As soon as Min Sung put it in his mouth, the thick slice of sashimi practically melted away like snow, almost making it unnecessary to chew, giving him the illusion that it had completely melted away. However, upon chewing, he was met with the tenderness of the thickly sliced tuna, his mouth filled with its sweetness. Although its aroma wasn't exactly the most potent, its smoothness was like no other. Closing his eyes, Min Sung exhaled slowly, deeply satisfied by his meal. However, a question popped up in the champion's mind: 'Why does it feel so familiar?'

Chapter 11

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Min Sung couldn't shake off the feeling that there was a memory just within reach.

'What could it be? Grandma? Why am I thinking about her cooking?' he asked himself. However, he had no recollection of having eaten sushi with his grandmother. While the question lingered in his mind, Min Sung took a sip of water in order to cleanse his palate.

"… Did you enjoy your meal?"

It wasn't until then that the champion looked toward Kyung Tae.

"Mr. Kang, I would highly advise you that you join the Shadow Guild. You'll be treated with the utmost respect."

"I'm sure you came here knowing what my answer was going to be. In case you don't, my answer is no."

"Ain't that a shame. May I ask why you insist on going solo?"

"I have no intention of taking orders from another person."

"Mr. Kang… this kind of behavior will get you in trouble one of these days."

"Are you threatening me?" Min Sung asked, chuckling.

"Threatening you? It's not in my nature to do such a thing. It's a piece of advice, if you will. The denser a tree, the more likely it will snap in two. It won't be long until your decisions come back to bite you. You'll find yourself becoming a target before you know it. That's just how this world works. So, with that said, join us, Mr. Kang. We'll help you become even more powerful."

"A target, you say?" Min Sung replied, chuckling and adding, "Now, I find that degrading. Aren't thugs like you at the center of this crime-stricken world? Now, it sounds to me that what you're suggesting is that I be part of your criminal pack, and I hate to break it to you, but that makes no sense to me."

At that, a look of anger appeared on Kyung Tae Oh's face.

"I think you're way out of line, Mr. Kang. You're insulting my guild at this point."

"Supervisor of the Shadow Guild, did I guess that right, Kyung Tae Oh?" Min Sung asked, looking at Kyung Tae with his deep, dark eyes.

"…"

"What's really insulting here is that I'm sharing a table with a piece of trash like you."

At that, Kyung Tae's face flushed bright red. Paying no attention to it, Min Sung drank another sip of water, slammed it on the table and stood up.

"Shadow Guild, was it? You better stay out of my sight. Don't let me see you, not even your shadow. Otherwise, you'll regret it," Min Sung said, paying for his meal and exiting the restaurant nonchalantly.

Left alone at the bar, Kyung Tae stared at the empty wooden platter on the table, chuckling. Then, looking in the direction the champion had gone out, he clenched his hand into a tight fist.

"… Why, that son of a bitch!" he let out with a ferocious look on his face, his body trembling with anger. Growing up, Kyung Tae's childhood had mostly consisted of taking orders from a neighborhood bully, who was now the head of the Diamond Clan. That is, until Kyung Tae realized his potential. Since getting hired by the Shadow Guild as an intern, he was always the top-performing member. Fueled by his fierce determination to undo the shameful past of his weak self, Kyung Tae led a life more intense than most people. Yet…

'Insulting? With a piece of trash like you? You dare mock ME in public!? A mere level 150!? And you have the guts to take your sweet time with your food just so you could say no!?' Kyung Tae thought, his eyes bloodshot.

"I'll teach you. You'll see just how worthless you are," he said, taking out his phone and making a call. Then…

"Yes, sir."

"We're holding an event. We'll give out one whole kilogram of diamonds as a reward," Kyung Tae said.

"Understood. Should I head there immediately?"

"Come find me in my office in thirty minutes."

"Yes, sir."

After hanging up and with tightly clenched lips, the supervisor caught his breath, rose from the seat slowly and buttoned his jacket.

—

Seeing

Advertisement

Min Sung getting in the back seat of his car, Ho Sung quickly turned toward the champion and asked, "So, how did the conversation go? I mean, not that I'm trying to be nosy or anything. I thought I saw you talking with someone in there."

"There was no conversation. He kept bugging me, so I told him to get lost," Min Sung replied, redirecting his attention out the window. At which point, Ho Sung became deathly pale.

"Take me home."

"Of… Of course, sir."

Punching the address of Min Sung's home into his GPS, Ho Sung drove off, his heart racing. Then, furrowing his brow, he wondered, 'Did he actually insult a Shadow Guild officer?' Finding his mind in disarray, he shook his head forcefully, thinking, 'At least he didn't beat the guy up. There isn't a good enough reason for the Shadow Guild to act on this.' However, if the champion had managed to ruffle Kyung Tae Oh's feathers, there was still room for trouble. After all, the supervisor had a reputation for being short-tempered.

'I better stay on the down-low, even if it costs us,' he thought to himself. Something big was about to happen.

—

Upon returning home, Min Sung sat on the couch in the living room. There was not a sound at home. Staring at the portrait of his smiling grandmother hanging on the wall, he wondered, 'Is it because I've been gone for a century?' Although looking directly at the portrait of his only family, Min Sung didn't feel a thing. He felt only loneliness poking at the pit of his stomach. With a deep sigh, he looked around his home, which looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while. There were cobwebs in every corner of the house. Though he thought about calling Ho Sung, he decided that he needed to move his body in order to fight off idle thoughts. Taking the broom, he swept the floor and removed the cobwebs. Then, taking a wet rag, he started to wipe the furniture. To his surprise, he was finding joy in that small task that was cleaning his own house. While cleaning, Min Sung couldn't wipe the smile off his face. After cleaning the living room, his room, the kitchen, and the bathroom, he looked toward the balcony. 'One more to go.'

At that moment, as he opened the door to the balcony with a freshly washed rag, he stopped in his tracks. Something had caught his eye: a jar that came up to about his knees.

Puzzled, Min Sung opened it. It was filled with soy sauce, which had to have been made a long time ago by his late grandmother. In which case, it had to be at least a decade old. There was also a saying that aged soy sauce had a medicinal quality to it.

'Yeah, I remember.'

Min Sung's grandmother was in the habit of aging her soy sauce. Reminiscing to his distant past, he dipped his pinky finger into the soy sauce and tasted it. Followed by an intense saltiness, there was a deep flavor to it. At that moment, he was struck by a certain realization.

'Now I know why I thought of my grandma at the restaurant.'

It had been the soy sauce, which had been brewed in small batches at home rather than being mass produced in a factory.

'So, that was why,' he thought to himself, staring intently at the surface of the soy sauce in the jar. Then, he closed the lid and wiped it with care, thinking, 'This should come in handy when I eat at home.'

Staring at the jar in good spirits, he started cleaning the balcony.

—

'Knock! Knock!'

"Come in,' Kyung Tae said. At his permission, a certain man with pearly white skin came into the office. Closing his document file, the supervisor looked up at the man, who appeared to be twenty years old at the oldest. However, his dark, ominous, eyes defied his age. Despite his age, the black uniform suited him quite well, the only flaw being that it gave him a sly look.

'Lv369 Jung Hee Lee: The Eternal Flame.'

From his name to his feminine appearance, one would be easily convinced that he was a woman. However, he was an assassin who excelled at eliminating targets without a sound. His impeccable skill had never let Kyung Tae down, which made Jung Hee his secret weapon of sorts. Because of him, the supervisor was confident that Min Sung wouldn't be around much longer. Although his incredible growth rate would have made him a valuable asset to the guild, he was a rookie who didn't know his place in Kyung Tae's eyes. No matter how talented one might be, they couldn't fully realize their potential without luck or without being born at the right time. It was simply the law of nature.

Looking at the young assassin, Kyung Tae smiled and asked, "Heard you just got back from vacation?"

"Yes, sir, from Hawaii. The women were beautiful there,' Jung Hee said, licking his lips like a snake. He had an unspeakably twisted hobby, not that it mattered in the world they were living in. After all, the world was dominated by hunters and was rotting from the inside. Taking the file, Kyung Tae tossed it toward Jung Hee, who caught it in midair and opened it. After reading it, a look of contemplation appeared on the assassin's face, which was a look uncommon to him. Tilting his head, he groaned ambiguously, "Hm…"

Getting antsy, Kyung Tae stared at Jung Hee.

"So, he's level 150, yet he managed to take out Yang Bong Koo with ease. From the looks of it, those interns must have been mere decoration. It says he's a… master-grade hunter?"

"Intimidated?" Kyung Tae asked.

"Not one bit. This won't be my first time taking out a hunter with master-grade potential. Though, considering that he has potential similar to the highest possible Master, I might wanna be thorough about this. Even if he's just a level 150," Jung Hee replied as he closed the document file.

"What does that mean?"

"I'll give it a shot, but I can't get close to him or confirm his death afterward."

"That's more than I can ask for," Kyung Tae said with a big smile.

"I'll get ready."

At the young assassin's answer, the supervisor smiled with satisfaction.

"Sir," Jung Hee said. Then, after bowing to the supervisor, he left the office.

Leaning back in his chair, Kyung Tae looked up at the ceiling with a smile on his face and said, "Pretentious prick. You can regret all you want when you're in hell."

Chapter 12

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

After staring up at the moonlit night sky, Jung Hee Lee, the young assassin, looked down at a residential building where his target lived with a dangerous glare in his eyes. Raising his hand, he checked the time: 1 a.m. The target had already gone inside by that point, and the lights had turned off two hours ago.

'Perfect.'

With a murderous glare in his eyes, the assassin drew the bow from his back and pulled out an arrow from the quiver on his waist. Taking a traditional Korean archery stance, he inhaled, fixed his eyes on the target, and grazed his fingertips across the arrowhead. At that moment, a small ember formed around the arrowhead, which turned into a flame. With his eyes fixed on his target's residence, he pulled the bowstring back until the arrowhead almost touched the bow, aimed, and inhaled quickly. Then, he released the string, and the fire arrow flew toward its target, whistling as it cut through the air. As the arrow shattered the window and got stuck on one of the living room walls, the flame started to spread in all directions, as if the place had been doused in gasoline. Looking at the flame spreading through the house, the assassin curled his lips into a subtle smirk. His ability to control fire had earned him the reputation of being one of the top assassins in the Shadow Guild. Burning several times hotter than ordinary fire, his fire was impossible to extinguish without a cleansing potion from the dungeon. Until put out by the potion, it consumed everything in its path mercilessly and unceasingly.

Although the Central Hunters' Institute had expressed their concerns about the use of the fire, the young assassin had nothing to worry about as Kyung Tae, the supervisor of the guild, would protect him from any possible consequences. Watching the black smoke rising from the window, Jung Hee smiled evilly.

—

When Min Sung opened his eyes, he noticed the smoke and its musty smell in the air. His house was on the verge of being engulfed by fire, which soon reached Min Sung. The fire was spreading at a frightening rate, and with a furrowed brow, Min Sung got out of bed unhurriedly and walked out to the living room. Although he couldn't see a thing through the fire, he paid no attention to it, he made haste toward the balcony, letting his intuition navigate him through the flames. Upon arriving, he picked up the jar of soy sauce, which was also in flames. 'What happened?'

At that moment, the memory of his late grandmother, who had been his friend, mother, and father, flashed against the wall of fire in the living room. Still holding the burning jar, Min Sung rose slowly, walked through the flames unhurriedly, and walked out of the house through the front door. Upon escaping the thick smoke in the air, Min Sung opened the lid of the burning jar. Unfortunately, having long succumbed to the extreme heat, the soy sauce within it had turned into a heap of burning ashes. Closing his eyes, the champion focused his mind, heightening his senses in order to find the arsonist responsible for the fire. His senses spread in all directions like a spider web, and shortly after, Min Sung recognized the unusual nature of the fire. Following his senses, the champion made haste like a hungry spider.

—

Jung Hee cackled as he walked toward his car parked on the street. Regardless of how powerful the target might have had been on the report, the target couldn't have escaped his death when he had been completely unprepared.

'What should I do with all those diamonds?' the assassin thought to himself in delight. At that moment, as he reached for the door handle of his car's door, he froze in place upon hearing what sounded like an object cutting through the air. Then…

"…?"

When the assassin looked to his side, he saw a man covered in ashes charging toward him, his eyes flashing brightly. However, upon getting a closer look, Jung Hee realized that the man was flying toward him with. To further add to his confusion, the man had something in his hand.

'Is that… A jar? On fire?' Jung Hee thought with widened eyes. At that moment, the very jar he had been looking at struck the assassin's head.

—

Tapping against the surface of his desk with his index finger, Kyung Tae looked at his phone anxiously.

"He should be done by now… What's taking him so long?"

Then, as Kyung Tae put a cigarette in his mouth, his phone finally started to ring. His eyes sparkled, and he picked up without hesitation. However, upon checking the caller's name on the screen of his phone, he couldn't help but furrow his brow. It was from the Shadow Guild. After organizing his thoughts briefly, he answered the phone.

"Kyung Tae Oh speaking."

"You're needed in the Central Operations Room."

"Who's looking for me?"

"The chief."

At that, Kyung Tae sprung up from his seat. The chief was a four-star officer. There was an enormous difference in level between Kyung Tae and a one-star officer, so the fact that the chief of the Special Intelligence Unit was looking for him was startling, to say the least. Needless to say, the chance of even running into him was nearly nonexistent. Assuming that there had to be a reason for why a four-star officer wanted to talk to him, Kyung Tae realized that things were going seriously wrong.

"R-right. I'll be right there."

"Yes, sir."

After hanging up, Kyung Tae was left in a state of shock as a wave of anxiety washed over him.

'Maybe something's wrong. Was it a mistake to send Jung Hee?' he asked himself as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

'No, it's too soon to assume the worst. Who knows? It might be good news,' he thought, desperately trying to convince himself, but to no avail. With a hardened look on his face, he let out a deep sigh.

'Well, only one way to find out.'

Straightening his clothes, he made his way to the Central Operations Room. After getting on an elevator, he walked through a long hallway and arrived at the room. When the secretary saw that he had arrived, they made a phone call, and after getting permission from the other end of the line, the secretary opened the door for the supervisor. As he walked into the room, he saw a middle-aged man dressed in a luxurious suit glaring at him piercingly with a dark expression on his face.

Swallowing nervously, the supervisor rushed further into the room, bowed at a ninety-degree angle and said in a loud voice, "It's a privilege, sir!"

"How do you explain this?" the chief asked, pointing at a series of monitors behind him. Sweating profusely, Kyung Tae looked up at the screens, which showed detailed reports of Min Sung's identity and the assassin burning down the champion's house.

"S-so, there was this man who I thought would be a fantastic addition to the guild. I tried to recruit him, but he started insulting our guild, and I couldn't just sit there…"

Chuckling, the chief walked toward the nervous supervisor suffocating with anxiety.

"Tell me."

"Y-yes, sir!"

"How would you handle a subordinate who completely forgets to follow official procedures, because he let his personal feelings get the best of him?" the chief asked with a cold, blank look on his face, placing his hands on Kyung Tae's shoulders.

"I-I'll take responsibility for my actions, sir!" the supervisor said.

"Responsibility, you say?"

"It… it appears to me that I didn't know my place, and I was disrespectful of your authority. Forgive me, sir. I'll finish what I started!"

Sighing on the supervisor's face, the chief said, "Kyung Tae Oh."

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm a man willing to overlook other people's mistakes. But, it's a-whole-nother story when they keep repeating that same mistake knowingly," the chief said. Then, he squeezed the supervisor's shoulder.

Crack!

"Ugh!"

Followed by the loud crack, sharp pain shot through Kyung Tae's shoulder. It felt as though his shoulder blade had shattered under the chief's inhuman grip.

"A-allow me to make it up to you, sir!"

"I'm not generous with my time. You understand?"

"Of-of course! Agh!"

With that, the chief loosened his hand, and Kyung Tae staggered in place, breathing harshly. Lighting a cigarette nonchalantly, the chief blew the smoke through his mouth and immersed himself in thought, scratching his forehead. Then, he nodded as though he had made up his mind.

"You realize that there will be consequences on your end, right?"

"Of-of course, sir!"

"Killing him is hardly a challenge, but you see, we have an image to uphold. Now, you shouldn't be going around making the guild look bad, am I right? It seems to me that recruiting this guy is not an option, thanks to you."

"You mean…" Kyung Tae said, rolling his eyes around in confusion while swallowing nervously.

"Make up an excuse."

"An excuse…?"

"That's your job now. Come up with something so that it seems like we didn't have a choice but to take this up-and-comer out. That way, we don't give the Central Institute a reason to pester us. Got it?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Fix this before the news gets out. Remember that your punishment depends on the weight of your responsibility."

"Yes, sir!"

"Now, go and come up with something," the chief said, signaling the supervisor to leave with his chin.

"Yes, sir!" Kyung Tae said, bowing politely and rushing out of the room. Meanwhile, putting his cigarette out on the ashtray, the chief sat on the couch with his legs crossed and looked at the screen.

Chapter 13

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

The main lobby of the Shadow Guild was protected by two security guards. One of which was a marksman. Looking around, he struck up a conversation with his fellow guard, "Did you hear?"

"About what?"

"You know who Yang Bong Koo is, right? The Machete of Blood and Iron? Word is that he and a handful of interns got their asses handed to them by some level 150."

"What!? You're kidding!"

"I'm afraid not. My brother was one of those interns. I heard it from him after he got discharged from the hospital."

"But what sense does that make? A level 150 taking Yang Bong Koo AND the interns out with a single blow?"

"From what I heard, it's looking more and more certain that this guy is a Master."

"That's insane! A Master!? Holy… That's like an officer of the Central Institute!"

"Yep. I think things are about to get crazy around here."

"Which means…"

"I think the guild is gonna try to recruit him."

"Yeah, that'll make some noise, all right."

"The competition's gonna be fierce with people fighting over the top candidate position."

"We better prepare ourselves. Like you said, it sounds like things really are about to get crazy around here."

"Well, we don't really have anything to do with any of this, though. There's a reason why Celestials are called Celestials, you know? It's a realm ordinary hunters like us couldn't even dare think about."

"Sigh, this world has always been so unfair. Screw it! I'm treating myself to something nice when my shift is over! Wanna come with?"

"Let's do it."

While the two hunters were snickering, a figure walked into the lobby through the rotating door. It was still the crack of dawn.

"Huh?!"

"Who could that be at this hour?"

At that moment, as the figure's title and the name came into view, the two guards were left shocked.

'Jung Hee Lee: The Eternal Flame.'

Thinking that they were seeing things, the two guards rubbed their eyes simultaneously. No matter how many times they did so, the figure's title and name remained unchanged. However, there was something odd about his appearance.

'What happened to him?'

The two guards were flabbergasted by the sight of the infamous assassin trudging across the lobby wearing nothing but his white underwear. His face was covered in dried up blood, and he seemed overcome with terror.

"What the…"

As the two guards stared at Jung Hee with perplexed eyes, another person followed the assassin into the lobby, keeping the two guards on their toes.

'Min Sung Kang: Lv150.'

The man seemed to be wearing the assassin's uniform. Upon closer inspection, the two guards noticed that the man was holding something in his hand.

"What is that? It's still burning!"

"'I think it's…. a jar?"

"Wait a minute, isn't that the guy you were talking about earlier!?"

"Wait, what!?"

"Right!?"

"… M-maybe."

"I have no idea what to make of this situation, but I think something's gone terribly wrong."

"We better let the others know."

At that moment, while the two guards were whispering to each other, Jung Hee raised his hand slowly and said, "Hey! You two!"

Startled, the two straightened their backs almost immediately.

"Sir! Are you all right!?"

"Who's that behind you??"

The two hunters asked in turn nervously. Then, just as Jung Hee was about to answer them, a voice came from behind the assassin.

"Jung Hee Lee," Min Sung said, and the assassin, shaking uncontrollably with fear, looked back at the champion. "Call him."

At Min Sung's command, the assassin pulled out his phone with shaky hands.

—

Upon arriving at his office, Kyung Tae's phone started to ring. Seeing the young assassin's name on the screen, the supervisor let out a long sigh and answered the phone.

"Things are getting complicated… Wait, WHAT!?" Kyung Tae shouted, his eyes widened.

"Min Sung Kang is in the lobby, looking for you."

"…!"

Hanging up the phone, Kyung Tae turned away from his office and made haste, trying to think about the best course of action. At that moment, he stopped in his tracks as he was struck by a certain realization.

'Chance! This is a chance!'

The chief had ordered the supervisor to eliminate the champion quietly while he was at it.

Advertisement

Now, the opportunity had practically fallen into his lap. Although there was no getting around the punishment, it was still possible to minimize it.

'He walked in here on his own? He must either be brave or out of his mind. No, this is good. He's practically surrounded. This ends here. Today.'

Then, the supervisor decided to gather the special unit, who could engage in battle immediately, within the guild.

—

Stuck in between Jung Hee Lee and Min Sung Kang, the two guards were sitting ducks. Kyung Tae Oh, the supervisor, was on his way down to the lobby, and they didn't dare get themselves involved. Soon, amid the confusing and distressing situation, the one who the two guards had been waiting desperately for finally turned up.

"S-sir!" the two let out, still in utter confusion.

"You two, go lock the entrance and wait for my orders," Kyung Tae said, walking toward the champion unhurriedly. Meanwhile, the two guards rushed to the computer by the front desk and locked the entrance. Soon, with mechanical sounds, the locking mechanism started to engage, and the entrance was sealed by two thick steel doors closing in from either side.

"Mr. Kang, about my employee here…"

At that moment, before the supervisor even finished his sentence, Min Sung chucked the burning jar in his hand. As it landed on the assassin's back, he fell to the floor, vomiting up blood.

"Ugh!"

Squirming on the floor in pain, the once infamous assassin was now in a humiliating state. He seemed to have suffered a serious injury to his spine. Should the jar have hit his back a little harder, the shattered pieces of his spine would have ripped through his skin.

'He didn't even throw it that hard! Yet…' Kyung Tae thought, breaking out into cold sweats. After glaring at Min Sung briefly, he quickly put on an obsequious smile and said, "M-Mr. Kang, what do you say we have a chat?"

'I have to stall him, at least for another minute, until reinforcement arrives.'

Because he couldn't take on such a monstrous opponent on his own, there was no other option.

"There must have been a misunderstanding. Let's talk…"

However, with a serious look on his face, Min Sung started walking toward Kyung Tae.

"H-hold on, Mr. Kang! We-we can talk this out. Stop! Stop right there, you psycho…!"

At that moment…

'… Where'd he go?' Kyung Tae wondered. Then, what appeared to be a burning jar flying toward him appeared in his line of sight. With an explosive sound that echoed through the lobby, his head snapped back from the impact, sending him flying through the air. After rotating 720 degrees, the supervisor fell on the floor with four missing teeth, a broken nose, and his cheekbone caved in. Due to the champion's speed, fighting back, let alone resisting, was impossible.

"Ugh…" Kyung Tae moaned, bleeding profusely from his mouth. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't get up. His body felt like a piece of cotton soaked in water. Then, just as his conscience started to fade, he heard a series of footsteps approaching from behind.

—

Faced with the champion, the five specially trained hunters were flabbergasted by the weapon in Min Sung's hand. Although Kyung Tae wanted to remind the five hunters to be on their guard, he was simply too weak to speak. Because he had summoned the hunters in such a short time, he hadn't been able to provide them enough information about the intruder. Nevertheless, contrary to his concerns, the special unit was made of hunters who were experienced fighters. Because of that, they were able to analyze the combat situation quickly.

"Stay on your guard. Don't let his level fool you. He is much more than what meets the eye. Otherwise, Lee and Mr. Oh wouldn't be in the shape they are," the hunter of the highest level within the group said. Agreeing with him, the rest of the team prepared for battle, and blue indicators of boost abilities appeared above their heads. Flashing unceasingly, they enhanced their attack, defense, and elemental resistance. After staring at them intently, Min Sung approached them unhurriedly. Unfortunately, the hunters couldn't catch his movements as quickly. Before they even got into formation, Min Sung's burning jar sent one of the hunters' heads flying.

With an explosive sound, one of the hunters' heads bent backward and rolled across the lobby, spraying blood all over the place. The boost ability seemed to have helped little to prepare them for the blow. The protective shield offered little protection against the champion. At which point, the eyes of the four remaining hunters widened. They were facing an opponent far faster and more powerful than they had been led to believe. Unfortunately, by the time they got in an offensive formation, their opponent had already made his next move. As Min Sung swung the jar from left to right, another hunter went down like a lead balloon. Although the champion was visible, their eyes simply couldn't catch up to his movements. Seeing two of their teammates on the floor, completely incapacitated, the remaining three of the special unit charged toward the champion all at once. At that moment, with a thunderous roar, a wave of energy, which looked like a firebreath from a dragon, powerful enough to tear the building down, exploded out of the champion, swallowing them whole. In a matter of seconds, the three burned to a crisp and rolled across the lobby floor. Without a hint of weariness, Min Sung looked around the lobby with his deep, dark eyes. Having witnessed the frightening power of the champion, the two guards trembled in terror. Then, amid the suffocating silence, one of the guards cautiously set the emergency alarm off. Soon, the blaring sound of the alarm filled the air, alerting everyone in the building.

"… We're gonna die, aren't we?"

"Probably."

Having witnessed what the champion was capable of, the two speculated that killing them would've been no different than killing ants to him. The man was clearly unrestricted by his level, and assuming that he wouldn't let them live for sounding the alarm, the fear of death washed over the two guards. Sure enough, Min Sung chucked his burning jar in their direction. With a loud boom, the magically enhanced fire started to surround the two hunters. Then, as if they had been hit by a truck, the two flew across the lobby, and their bodies slammed against the wall.

Chapter 14

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Looking nonchalantly at Jung Hee and Kyung Tae amid the blaring alarm, Min Sung walked toward the two men who had tried to kill him and who were also on the ground, helpless and heavily wounded.

Trembling in terror, Jung Hee looked up at the champion, who proceeded to stomp on the back of the assassin's head, killing him instantly. At the sight of the young assassin's head exploding into splatter of blood across the floor, Kyung Tae shook uncontrollably, struggling to accept that his life was coming to such an anticlimactic end. Then…

"Screw y…"

… the burning jar in Min Sung's hand came down on the supervisor's head mercilessly, crushing Kyung Tae's head and reducing it to a bloody mess. At that moment, dozens of Shadow Guild hunters poured out of the emergency door, and an officer came out of the elevator: Ji Hyuk Yoo, the four-star officer.

Min Sung glared at the officer and at the text above his head.

'Lv779 Ji Hyuk Yoo: Chief of the Special Intelligence Unit.'

As the hunters awaited for the chief's commands anxiously, Ji Hyuk said, "Kill him," and the dozens of hunters charged ferociously toward Min Sung at once. Then, the champion swung his burning jar, and with what sounded like a roaring thunder, the hunters fell to the ground, their lifeless bodies in flames. Before long, the flames spread across the lobby. Standing completely still amid the vicious flames, the champion seemed like the devil himself in the flesh. With his face twisting into a scowl, Ji Hyuk glared piercingly at Min Sung.

"Who the hell are you…?"

Instead of giving him an answer, the champion started walking through the fire toward the chief. At which point, the chief unsheathed his treasured weapon, the Bayonet of Life.

—

As the burning jar collided with the Bayonet of Life, the chief groaned from the sheer impact. His entire body vibrated. His arms grew numb by the second, and he felt as though he was being crushed by a giant boulder. The bayonet's deadly ability of absorbing its victim's life seemed to offer no help in that situation. Rather, Ji Hyuk felt his stamina leaving him as if he was under a spell. Then, Min Sung brought his burning jar up against the chief, who held his bayonet upright in order to block the blow. With the explosive impact, the bayonet flew out of Ji Hyuk's hands, spinning in the air before it lodged itself on the floor, leaving the chief completely vulnerable. Without hesitation, the champion, with his eyes glowing black, took another swing at the chief. As the blow landed on Ji Hyuk's chest, the impact sent the chief flying, throwing him against the wall.

"Cough!"

Upon falling to the ground, the chief coughed up blood ceaselessly, looking deathly pale.

"Cough! Cough!"

Then, with a burning glare in his bloodshot eyes, Ji Hyuk attempted to get back on his feet, only to collapse to his knees as his legs gave out. To his demise, when he looked up, he saw the champion charging toward him. Before long, the champion kicked the chief's head as he would a soccer ball, and unable to withstand the blow, Ji Hyuk's head exploded into pieces.

—

Meanwhile, the guild master of the Shadow Guild was monitoring the situation through the phone in his car. Dumbfounded by what he was seeing, the guild master rubbed his mouth anxiously. He was well aware of the supervisor and the assassin's involvement, including how their attempt at eliminating their target had ended in failure. Now, their very target was raising hell in the guild's headquarters, taking down a four-star officer within three blows. The confusion in his mind began to suffocate him.

'Could this man really be… the miscellaneous type?'

The thought sent chills down his spine. Driven by intelligence, about eighty-percent of the Shadow Guild's fighting force was scattered across the country, which meant there wasn't nearly enough fighting force left within the headquarters to stop the intruder. However, something told the guild master that even the entirety of their fighting force wouldn't be enough.

'That leaves only one option: the Central Hunters' Institute. But, will they agree to help if we're dealing with a miscellaneous type?'

The answer was simple: No.

Whether it was the Central, Eastern, Western, Southern or the Northern Branch, there was one thing that every branch of the Hunters' Institute had in common: they were all led by individuals who were classified as miscellaneous types, who possessed enough power and worth to represent entire cities. Yet, in a situation where the Shadow Guild was at fault, the guild master was bound to receive ice-cold glares from the other branches for asking for help. There was no way around it but to take personal responsibility for the matter. Then, as he let out a deep, distraught sigh, his phone started to vibrate.

"I'm on my way to the headquarters. Do NOT provoke the intruder…" the guild master said as soon as he answered the phone. However, instead of a verbal response, a peculiar sound came from the receiver.

"Cough!"

Startled by the sound, the guild master straightened his back with widened eyes. Then, a frighteningly ominous voice sounded from the receiver. It said, "I'll be waiting," and hung up the phone.

—

With a loud screech, a large, luxurious sedan made an abrupt stop in front of Shadow Guild Headquarters. Unfastening his tie, the guild master rushed into the building only to be met by the same, terrifying scene of the lobby he had been monitoring through his phone previously. Seeing the lobby caught in flames, the guild master's face twisted into a pained scowl.

—

The flames were just starting to spread to the guild master's room. At that moment, the silhouette of a man looking out of the window at the city at night came into view.

'Lv150 Min Sung Kang: The First.'

Just like the intel had said, the intruder really was only level 150. Showing his back to the guild master with a burning jar in his hand, the man looked rather peculiar.

'He's only level 150… Yet, he's taken out the entire Shadow Guild on his own…' the guild master thought, chuckling. 'And what the hell is the deal with that jar?'

At that moment, Min Sung turned around, looked at the guild master, and dropped the burning jar in his hand on the floor. It shattered into pieces, spreading ashes of burnt soy sauce all over the place. Looking at broken shards and the contents of the jar, the guild master smiled bitterly, thinking, 'Did he massacre my guild members with that thing? This makes no sense. How can that be? How is it that we, the biggest intelligence group in this country, knew nothing about this freak? Where did he even come from?'

"I'm the guild master of the Shadow Guild. What is it that you want? Are you here to wipe the Shadow Guild from the face of the Earth, or were you waiting here to kill me?" the guild master asked directly while staring at Min Sung.

"I'm here to warn you," the intruder said, brushing his blood-soaked hair up.

"Warn us…?" the guild master asked, swallowing nervously.

"If you don't want further trouble, stay quiet and do not bother me."

Watching the flames slowly consuming his room, the guild master smiled and replied, "So, what you're saying is that I should clean up this mess because you don't feel like getting your hands dirty. Am I right?" the guild master asked, his body quivering ever so slightly as Min Sung stared intently at him.

"Is that all you want?" the guild master asked again.

Then, Min Sung stood next to him and said, "As long as you keep your end of the promise."

With that, the intruder walked out of the room unhurriedly, and staring in his direction, the guild master closed his eyes tightly, feeling helpless and humiliated.

—

While the remaining guild members were busy putting out the fire with cleansing potions, the guild master received a call from the Central Hunters' Institute asking for an explanation regarding the commotion. However, the guild master offered no explanation, just as he had promised the champion. Despite the Central Institute's aggressive inquiry, the guild master of the Shadow Guild remained firm, refusing to disclose any information. At which point, the Central Institute let up and no longer tried to pry an explanation out of him. After making sure that the media wouldn't be able to cover the incident, the guild master registered it as a highly-classified record and prohibited guild members from ever bringing it up. Just as he had promised Min Sung, the guild master kept his end of the deal thoroughly, and just like that, things quieted down.

—

Staring up at the charred exterior of the Shadow Guild Headquarters, Ho Sung Lee, the head of the Diamond Clan asked, "What the hell happened here?" Looking shocked, he looked around at the countless hunters and citizens who were also staring in shock. the Shadow Guild Headquarters had always been open to the public, but now, there was a barricade blocking the entrance along with a sign informing that they were temporarily closed. Looking at the building and its surroundings, Ho Sung licked his parched lips nervously. The media hadn't said a word about the incident. Instead, it had been reported as a mere accident, which meant somebody had done something to prevent them from speaking the truth. The Central Institute was the only candidate capable of ambushing the Shadow Guild in its entirety. However, the Central Institute had no reason to draw attention to themselves by performing a public stunt.

'The Central Institute is in a symbiotic relationship with the Shadow Guild. It couldn't have been them. Wait… Could it be… Min Sung Kang?'

The thought gave Ho Sung the goosebumps.

"Haha! That's absurd! What sense does that make?" Ho Sung said to himself, lighting a cigarette while tapping his foot anxiously. "Impossible. It couldn't have been him…"

Chapter 15

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

After being attacked by an assassin, Min Sung's house had burned down to the ground, leaving him with no place to live. Since he needed money to buy a house, Min Sung decided to put Ho Sung Lee to work.

"Is this all I need to know?" the champion asked Ho Sung, shaking a bundle of documents in his hand.

With an obsequious smile, Ho Sung lowered his head and replied, "I've summarized as much as I can. I can always tell you if there's anything else you'd like to know."

While reading through the documents containing information on different dungeons, Min Sung glanced at Ho Sung, who was mumbling something and pouting. Seeing that, Min Sung put the documents down on the table and stared intently at Ho Sung.

"D-did you have a question?" Ho Sung asked, looking cautiously at Min Sung.

"You know, don't you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"That you tried to kill and rob me at one point."

"Of-of course! Which is exactly why I'm here! Being a loyal servant, doing my absolute best to serve you at all times…"

"I'm not sure how accurate that statement is. It seems to me that you have a lot to say," Min Sung said, nodding as he opened his inventory. Then, as he was about to unsheathe his crystal dagger, Ho Sung sprung up from his seat with tears streaming down his cheeks, saying, "Why must you doubt my loyalty!?"

"… What?" Min Sung asked, furrowing his brow.

"Do you even know what was on my mind?" Ho Sung asked while tears dripped down his chin. Puzzled, Min Sung tilted his head and stared at him. "I was regretting bringing you to such a terrible coffee shop! The coffee's terrible here! They must've hired a new barista or something! Sir, I know a place just around the corner. They serve the most aromatic, and flavorful Americano…"

"What are you talking about? Our coffee isn't even out yet," Min Sung said, eyeing the buzzer, which had just started to vibrate.

"Th-that's because I have a terrific nose for coffee! This coffee you're smelling? It's far from quality!"

"Just go get our coffee," Min Sung said as he put the crystal dagger in his inventory.

"Yes, sir!"

After sending Ho Sung to bring their coffee, Min Sung read through the documents again. According to them, there were seventy-nine dungeons across Korea, including those of the labyrinth variety. Only five labyrinths existed in the entire country, and unlike ordinary dungeons that had already been conquered, the unconquered labyrinths were brimming with invaluable items. However, most hunters were hesitant to go into one for a simple reason: the difficulty. Most labyrinths were significantly more difficult than ordinary dungeons, and because of that, there were more hunters who had never made it back alive than those who had survived, which made labyrinths even less appealing.

Since the learning curve was far too steep for most ordinary hunters, labyrinth explorations were usually left to the Hunters' Institutes, which enabled them to monopolize the labyrinths, which meant the stronger the institutes became, the wider the gap between the rich and the poor. The world had always been unfair, and the Hunters' Institutes were the ones who had the world at their disposal. That had been the extent of the information on the documents.

"Your iced Americano, sir," Ho Sung said as he handed the coffee to Min Sung and took a seat. Putting the bundle of documents down, Min Sung looked down at the coffee in the disposable cup. Surrounding the crushed ice that resembled an iceberg, was the dark, rich color of the Americano.

'Is this gonna be any good?"

He had been nineteen years old when he had been summoned to the Demonic Realm. Prior to that, Min Sung had no recollection of ever having had an Americano. After all, it hadn't been common for a high school student to be in the habit of drinking coffee.

'Let's find out,' Min Sung

Advertisement

told himself. Bringing the straw up to his mouth, he pulled the coffee through it. Immediately, the coldness of the iced coffee filled his mouth, followed by an intense bitterness, the smooth aroma of the coffee, and a rush of caffeine. The experience brought him comfort that was difficult to put into words. If he were to put it concisely, it would've been refreshing and relaxing, as if sitting under a stream of water coming down a waterfall. Although it was his first experience with coffee, it was not half bad.

'Let's try another sip.'

Min Sung pulled the dark brown liquid through the straw one more time. As the ice-cold coffee quenched his thirst, the caffeine made him feel as though his mind was clearing up.

"Ah…!"

'So, is this what caffeine does? Fascinating. It makes sense that people don't ever get tired of coffee.'

Wondering if his nineteen-year-old self would have had the same experience, Min Sung savored another sip of his Americano, and before he knew it, his cup was empty.

"Would you like another?" Ho Sung asked.

However, Min Sung shook his head and said, "I think I've had enough." Then, moving the empty cup aside, the champion said to Ho Sung, "So, tell me more about this labyrinth."

"Oh, the labyrinths? Hm… How should I put it? It's just luck, really."

"Luck?"

"A labyrinth is essentially an uncleared dungeon that appears at random every month, but there's one thing that sets them apart from the rest. For example, an entire guild goes into a labyrinth, and none of them come back out in the end. What do you think those waiting outside of the dungeon would think?"

"That the dungeon's difficult."

"Exactly, but that's not all. There's something special about labyrinths. Their difficulty changes at random."

"How?" Min Sung asked.

"Say you try your hand at the dungeon one day, and it turns out impossible no matter how hard you try. Then, you try again another day, and it feels like a walk in the park, or at least easier enough for you to notice the change in difficulty. That's how the labyrinths work. Their difficulty changes every time somebody enters."

"Does that mean the payoff depends on the difficulty of the labyrinth?"

"Not necessarily. It's a bit of a gamble, but generally speaking, even the easiest labyrinths will reward you with loot far better than any of the ordinary dungeons of higher difficulty."

"Yet, guilds and clans avoid labyrinths altogether because…?"

"They're intimidated. They know they're screwed the moment they end up in a higher-difficulty labyrinth. Not only is there a limit to how many people can go into a labyrinth at once, but once you're in there, you can't leave the dungeon until a party clears the floor. There's just too much at stake, which is why only the official Hunters' Institutes explore labyrinths," Ho Sung said, shaking his head.

"Has anyone ever cleared a higher difficulty labyrinth on their own?" Min Sun asked.

"Of course. The current leaders of the Hunters' Institutes. They are advanced hunters who are classified as miscellaneous types. They appeared just around the time the monsters started to break out of dungeons," Ho Sung replied.

"And what does that mean exactly?"

"Let's just say that miscellaneous types are at a completely different realm when it comes to their combat abilities, their growth rate, basic stats… You name it."

"So, that's how the Hunters' Institutes are able to horde all the labyrinths."

"In reality, though, they hardly ever go in there themselves. But when they do, the higher-ups come up with a strategy, and the mid-rank officers put together a team to execute it."

"I'm sure it's still risky, am I right?"

"Absolutely. People die all the time in labyrinths."

"Then, why aren't the miscellaneous types getting involved in this?" Min Sung asked, and with a bitter smile, Ho Sung explained, "For a number of reasons. For one, the Central Hunters' Institute is investing a lot into training hunters capable of clearing labyrinths without the help of the miscellaneous types. I'm sure they're breeding the next generation to prepare for a future when their kind is no longer around."

Min Sung nodded to that and asked, "So, just how powerful are these miscellaneous types?"

"There's no telling, unfortunately. You see, I've never actually come across one myself."

"And their levels?"

Shrugging, Ho Sung answered, "They say that when you clear a labyrinth, your level is no longer visible, so you look just like an ordinary person. That's why the miscellaneous types are shrouded in mystery and rumors. They function outside the law and they're practically figures from legend. It's almost hard to believe that they even exist."

"And what happens when you don't clear a labyrinth or dungeon?" Min Sung asked.

"The monsters break out of the dungeon. As for time, you get as little as…"

Raising his hand, the champion stopped Ho Sung mid-sentence and said, "That'll do."

"What will you do now…?"

"Breakfast."

"Ah! Of course! Right away, sir."

—

"We're here," Ho Sung said upon arriving at a certain restaurant. As Min Sung got out of the car, he said enthusiastically, "Enjoy your meal, sir!"

Without responding, the champion made his way toward the restaurant. Watching him from behind, Ho Sung murmured internally, 'Asshole. Would it hurt him to ask if I wanna come along?'

—

Satisfied by Ho Sung's tactfulness, Min Sung looked at the sign in front of the restaurant and smiled. It was the perfect place to start off the day with a light breakfast.

[Noodle Soup: 2,900 Won.]

It was an astounding value. It had been a decade since Min Sung had crossed over to the Demonic Realm. Yet, the fact that a bowl of noodle soup still cost twenty-nine hundred won was astonishing.

'Do they even make a profit?' he wondered. Then, a small worry crept into Min Sung's mind:

'What if I'm getting what I paid for?' However, the worry quickly faded away as he remembered who had recommended the restaurant to him: Ho Sung Lee.

Whether Korean or Japanese food, Ho Sung had known just exactly where to take Min Sung, and so far, the champion was satisfied with every one of his recommendations. But did that mean he could expect the same from Ho Sung this time?

'There's only one way to find out.'

Chapter 16

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

The bell on the door jingled as Min Sung walked into the restaurant. Because it was still early in the morning, most of the customers were middle-aged or older, and they still looked like they were half asleep. At that moment…

"Hello. Feel free to sit anywhere you'd like," a middle-aged lady said as she dried her hands on her apron. After her offer, the champion sat at a table by the window.

"What can I get ya? A bowl of noodle soup, maybe?"

When Min Sung nodded affirmatively, the lady nodded with a smile and went into the kitchen. Looking down, Min Sung saw a small seasoning jar and a spoon stand. After taking a spoon for himself, he looked around the restaurant. Upon seeing the sign on the wall that read: 'Self-serve Water,' he walked over to the refrigerator and brought back a pitcher of water and a cup. There was nothing unusual about the restaurant and its ambiance. Although there was no indication that there was an artisan noodle maker working in the kitchen, it did have a warm, welcoming vibe that made the customers feel at home, allowing them to eat in peace. Looking around the restaurant, Min Sung waited patiently for his noodle soup. Soon, the middle-aged lady brought out a bowl of noodle soup along with a bowl of kimchi.

"Enjoy," she said. As she returned to the kitchen, Min Sung stared intently at the noodle soup and picked up his chopsticks, thinking, 'Guess I won't need a spoon. I can just drink the broth from the bowl.' Before he put his chopsticks to work, he got one last good look at the soup.

Also known as party noodles, the noodle soup had a long tradition of being eaten at village parties. Although a commonly-eaten dish in modern days, it had been much more difficult to come by in the past, and the only time and place where people could expect to eat it was at a village party. With it currently being sold at only twenty-nine hundred won, the soup's price was a direct indication of the change in time.

(TL's Note: Currently, 2,900 won is about $2.50 USD)

After putting some seasoning in the noodle soup, Min Sung mixed the noodles and the seasoning with the broth. Picking up a big mouthful of the noodles, he blew on them a few times and slurped away.

As Min Sung's mouth sucked the noodles like a vacuum cleaner, the soft texture of the noodles filled the champion's mouth. Then, he picked up the bowl with both of his hands and drank the broth.

"Ah…" he let out, a jet of hot steam coming out of his mouth. The dried-anchovies broth was deeply gratifying. Although often humble and ordinary in appearance, the food of the commoners was extraordinary in flavor and value.

'This is amazing!'

Putting the bowl down, Min Sung picked up a piece of refreshing, perfectly-fermented kimchi and brought it up to his mouth.

After that, Min Sung went back to the bowl of noodle soup without delay. Every time his teeth sank into the flour noodles, the softness of the noodles made for an experience as comforting as lying in a soft bed. Then, instead of cutting the noodles with his teeth while eating, Min Sung ate them without doing so, filling his mouth with the flour noodles. However, it wasn't overbearing by any means. If anything, the rich texture enhanced the experience even further. Hot, slightly spicy, and yet refreshing, the noodle soup soothed the inside of his mouth and his nose.

It wasn't until he looked down that he realized that he had eaten every bit of it. Although it felt like he hadn't been eating for that long, the noodles were nowhere to be found. Nevertheless, they were quite filling. After savoring what was left of the broth, Min Sung put the bowl down, let out a satisfied sigh, and guzzled down a cup of ice-cold water. Refreshed and thoroughly hydrated, he rose from his seat with a satisfied look on his face and said, "Whew! Now, that's breakfast."

—

Seeing Min Sung

Advertisement

walk out of the restaurant, Ho Sung put out the cigarette in his mouth in a hurry and asked, "Did you enjoy your meal, sir?"

"Sure did," Min Sung said, nodding affirmatively. As he got in the back seat of the car, Ho Sung got in the driver's seat, looked toward the champion and asked, "Where to now, sir?"

"Take me to one of those labyrinths."

"Right away… Wait, what!?" Ho Sung let out, blinking, dumbfounded.

"Take me to the nearest labyrinth," Min Sung said while looking out the window.

"… Are you sure? It's gonna be dangerous there."

"Anytime, now."

Still in a daze, Ho Sung tilted his head and started the car.

'Is he insane!? He's actually going into a labyrinth!? Is he trying to get himself killed? I guess he's just drawn to danger like a moth to a flame.'

At that moment, a realization struck the driver.

'Wait a minute! This is a big chance! He might be a monstrous hunter, but a labyrinth is NOT an easy dungeon by any stretch of the imagination, which means I'll be a free man the moment he steps into one! Poor bastard. Don't say I didn't warn you.'

The champion seemed to have little to no awareness of the danger that lurked within a labyrinth. Even the guilds who were looking to make a profit deemed going into a labyrinth suicide. Yet, Min Sung was planning on going into one alone. Then…

'Wait, hold on…'

… a chill ran down Ho Sung's spine.

"Uh, sir? You weren't thinking about taking me with you, were you?" he asked.

"Is that a question? I thought it was obvious," Min Sung replied with a furrowed brow.

'Shit!' Ho Sung let out internally, turning deathly pale. 'Why is he dragging me into this!?'

"Uhm… Sir? A labyrinth, might I add, is a seriously dangerous place that even clans and sizable guilds shy away…"

"You can either go in with me or die by my hands."

There was no way out. With sunken eyes and a deathly pale face, the driver looked around frantically and asked, "Is-is there a reason why you're insisting on taking me with you?"

"Because I can only carry so much stuff. I'm gonna have to borrow your inventory space."

At Min Sung's reply, Ho Sung wiped the tear running down his cheek in a hurry. Although he had been as cold and heartless as one could be at one point, there really was no telling how life would change a person.

'I should've made a run for it when I had the chance,' Ho Sung thought, sniffling and holding back his tears desperately.

"Quiet."

At the champion's heartless remark, Ho Sung forced himself to smile, his face covered in tears and snot.

—

After driving through the rough, unpaved mountainous roads, the car stopped at a place about three thousand meters above sea level. As the two got out of the car, Ho Sung said, "We're gonna have to walk from here." He dropped his shoulders and led the way.

"Is this the right way?" Min Sung asked.

"It should be."

As Min Sung followed behind Ho Sung, Ho Sung asked, "Uhm… sir? Would it be OK to ask why you're so fixated on going into a labyrinth when there are plenty of dungeons out there?"

"I need money to find a new place. Besides…"

After Min Sung dragged on, Ho Sung looked back at him.

"… I'm curious about what a labyrinth is like."

After giving him a puzzled look, Ho Sung looked in the direction of where the labyrinth was supposed to be, and to his dismay, they had arrived.

—

The two stood in front of the entrance, which resembled a translucent UFO standing vertically, like that of an ordinary dungeon. Staring at the dungeon, Ho Sung chuckled as if he was losing his mind.

'Maybe we'll get lucky! Who knows?! Maybe we'll end up with an easy labyrinth! Now that I think about it, I have a vague memory of hearing about the easiest difficulty being the most common with labyrinths.'

Looking at the dungeon's entrance, Ho Sung swallowed nervously. Never had he thought that he would be going into a labyrinth. Now, just moments before entering, he barely managed to swallow the words about to leave his mouth: 'If you're planning on getting yourself killed, couldn't you leave me out of it?'

Should those words leave his mouth, that devil of a champion would surely tear him to pieces before they even set foot inside the labyrinth.

"Let's go," Min Sung said, leading the way. At which point, Ho Sung felt a sinking sensation in his chest.

'Are we really doing this? Is this real?!'

Then, Min Sung looked back and gave Ho Sung an irritated look…

"C-coming!"

… forcing the driver to follow him. With that, the two stood by the entrance in order to enter the dungeon, and soon, they started to levitate.

'This can't be happening! Shit, I'm so screwed! Please! Please be an easy one!'

In no time, darkness swallowed their consciousness.

—

Within the gaping darkness, an automated voice echoed.

[Welcome to the labyrinth.]

[You may not exit the labyrinth until you clear the dungeon.]

[Difficulty revealed in five seconds.]

[Five, four, three, two, one…]

'Please be an easy one!'

[Labyrinth Difficulty: Hell]

"Noooooo!" Ho Sung cried out, thinking, 'This is it. There's no going back.'

There were a number of difficulties to a labyrinth: Easy, Normal, Intermediate, Difficult, Advanced, Hell, Inferno, and Impossible. It was widely known that Hell was a difficulty even the entirety of the Shadow Guild wouldn't be able to handle. Yet, to Ho Sung's dismay, he found himself in a Hell labyrinth with the monstrous champion.

'I'm dead. I'm SO DEAD! Why did we have to cross paths!?' Ho Sung cried out internally as a wave of disappointment and sorrow washed over him. At that moment, beams of light started to shine in the darkness, and when Ho Sung opened his eyes, the labyrinth revealed itself. Looking like he was about to have a breakdown, he breathed harshly, his heart pounding as if it was about to explode. They were in a large cave, where the luminous minerals on the ceiling were the only light source.

"We are done for! This is a Hell labyrinth! This is the end! We're gonna die here!" Ho Sung said anxiously, teary-eyed.

"Ho Sung Lee."

"… Yes?"

"Stop talking."

'And if I don't!? What are you gonna do, huh!? Are you gonna kill me!? Do your worst! We're gonna die here anyway!' Ho Sung shouted internally, barely keeping himself from saying the words out loud. As desperate as the situation was, survival was his utmost priority, even if it meant being alive for a few more seconds. Meanwhile, looking ahead, Min Sung opened his inventory and equipped the crystal dagger.