41-48

Chapter 41

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

"You, sir, have what it takes to bring the Diamond Clan back to its prime. If you decide to bring the clan back, I can promise to bring you at least ten more people with me. Besides, you're the highest level among all the clansmen in this field."

"Hm…" Ho Sung moaned, deep in thought. Having been preoccupied with cleaning up the champion's mess, Ho Sung had long forgotten about his clan. Now, as the idea of rebuilding his legacy entered his mind, his heart started to beat with excitement.

Typically, hunters in the streets made their living by offering protection from monsters to civilians, which often came with praise and admiration from business owners and a large group of followers. At level 200, Ho Sung and his clan taking over the city wasn't completely absurd.

'Boss.'

The four-letter word seeped into Ho Sung's mind.

—

"Sir, I've put together a list of restaurants." Ho Sung said, handing the champion a thick stack of paper at the terrace of a coffee shop. Sipping his iced Americano, Min Sung looked through the list of restaurants. Then, with a furrowed brow, he said, "And?"

"… Sir?"

"Are you expecting me to read all this?"

At that, Ho Sung shook his head in a hurry and added, "Oh, no, no! I'm just trying to show you that I've been working hard at finding restaurants! Hahahahahaha!"

Looking suspiciously at Ho Sung, who was laughing heartily, Min Sung said, "What are you? Bipolar?"

"Sir?"

"Did something good happen?"

"Oh, no. It's nothing like that. Besides, serving you is the biggest joy and reward of my life."

"Something smells fishy…" Min Sung said, sipping his coffee and staring intently at Ho Sung, who looked away into the distance, breaking out into cold sweats.

"Stay quiet and out of trouble," Min Sung said. At which point, still looking into the distance, Ho Sung waved his hands in denial and said, "C'mon! Do I really look like someone looking to stir the pot? Don't you worry, sir. That won't happen."

With that, Min Sung let up and looked at the view. The weather was perfect. The Sun was just warm enough, and the breeze felt nice and cool, almost making Min Sung want to leave for a spontaneous trip. Enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, the champion rubbed his belly while wondering what kind of food would be best suited for the weather.

"Egh! The Sun! Make it go away!" Bowl grumbled, squirming in Min Sung's pocket. At that moment, Min Sung murmured inadvertently, "Pork bone soup?" and Bowl, startled by the name of the dish, started shaking in the champion's pocket. Then, it stopped and didn't move another muscle, as if playing dead.

Throwing his head back, Min Sung stared up at the sky and said, "What to eat?"

"May I make a suggestion?" Ho Sung asked.

"Go on," Min Sung said, still looking up at the sky.

"How about spicy raw fish soup?"

Hearing that, Min Sung looked down and at Ho Sung.

"Interesting…"

"I know a place just around the corner too."

A fresh bowl of spicy raw fish soup on a sunny day. Nodding, Min Sung rose from his seat and said, "Let's go," tossing the empty cup into the air. Seeing that, Ho Sung sprung up from his seat and caught the cup in the air.

—

[Bonto Spicy Raw Fish Soup]

There was weight to the name of the restaurant. In Seoul, there weren't that many restaurants that made their specialty item a part of their name, which showed just how much pride the owner took in their soup.

"This place has always been famous, but it exploded once it came out on TV. As you can tell, there's a bit of a line," Ho Sung said, looking cautiously at the champion.

"Interesting. It's not even that hot yet."

"Sure, but it will be soon. Besides, it does get pretty warm during the day."

Nodding affirmatively, Min Sung got in line.

"Oh, sir? Don't forget your numbered ticket. People are standing in the order of their numbers. From the looks of it, we might have to wait up to an hour."

"An hour!?" Min Sung said, furrowing his brow.

"I know, right? Should we go elsewhere?"

Looking at the name of the restaurant, which exuded the owner's

pride, Min Sung hardened his expression and said, "No. We wait."

"Of course, sir. Trust me. It'll be worth the wait," Ho Sung replied, fetching Min Sung a ticket. At that moment, a stranger struck up a conversation with Ho Sung with a smile.

"Well, well! Are you here to eat? We're here to get lunch. Would you mind us joining you… Ugh!"

With a numbered ticket in his hand, Min Sung looked toward Ho Sung, who had the stranger in a headlock and was dragging the man away from the champion.

"… What is he doing?" Min Sung murmured, furrowing his brow, reminded of the endless line as he looked toward the restaurant. 'One hour,' he thought, letting out a small sigh. Although it felt like torture waiting in an empty stomach, waiting in line for merely an hour paled in comparison to the kind of life he had had to lead in the Demonic Realm. Then, regaining composure, Min Sung sat on a chair nearby and waited for the line to die down.

—

"S-sir! What are you doing!? You're hurting me!"

Min Wook, a former member of the Ace Clan and one of the newest members of the Diamond Clan, said desperately, tapping Ho Sung on the shoulder. However, it wasn't until they were in a narrow alleyway that Ho Sung let up. Looking around cautiously, Ho Sung asked bewilderedly "What the hell are you doing here!?"

"Uh… grabbing lunch?" Min Wook replied, rubbing his neck and furrowing his brow. Looking at him, Ho Sung swallowed nervously. Then, scratching his forehead, he immersed himself in deep thought.

'What would happen if Min Sung Kang finds out that I've put the clan back together?'

The champion's views on the Diamond Clan hadn't been very positive from the beginning. In fact, the Diamond Clan had been no more than a group of bandits who robbed hunters passing by their territory.

'I need an explanation. I have to be able to explain to him why my clan is necessary. I need time.'

Should the champion find out about the clan before Ho Sung thought of an explanation, it was very likely that Ho Sung would die at the hands of the merciless champion firmly believing that he would be contributing to society by getting rid of Ho Sung. Not only did the champion possess enough power to slice a basilisk in two, but he was also heartless and merciless in certain situations, which had always kept Ho Sung on his toes.

'It's too early for an explanation. I have to keep it a secret for now,' Ho Sung thought. Then, he grabbed Min Wook by the collar and pulled the man toward himself.

"Ugh! Sir! Why are you doing this!?"

"Listen carefully," Ho Sung said, glaring fiercely at Min Wook, who gave him a puzzled look in return. "How many of you guys are there in the restaurant?" Ho Sung asked.

"None. They're on their way."

"Good. Then, I need you to take them to a different restaurant."

"What!? But we made a reservation…"

"Just do it, damn it! I'm here with someone important! I'll explain everything later, all right? You hear me?" Ho Sung told Min Wook, who still seemed puzzled by Ho Sung's behavior.

"How do you think I was able to get to this level?" Ho Sung asked, and hearing that, Min Wook caught up to what Ho Sung was alluding.

"Ah…!"

"You catch my drift? Go on. Call them."

"Yes, sir."

Seeing Min Wook sending a text to his crew, Ho Sung breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he peeked his head around the corner to check up on the champion, pushing Min Wook, who was also peeking curiously, away.

—

After waiting for about thirty minutes, Min Sung rose from his seat. Although the expected wait time would be at least an hour, a group reservation seemed to have fallen through, shrinking the line significantly. Min Sung checked the time. In about ten minutes, he'd finally be able to taste the spicy raw fish soup.

Looking at the customers who were eating inside the restaurant and the line to get in, Min Sung crossed his arms. The fact that it was lunchtime and that the restaurant was close to a business park seemed to be contributing to its success despite its dishes being slightly expensive for a meal.

While Min Sung was lost in thought, the line shrunk even more, leaving only one more party ahead of him. Then, after waiting patiently, the time finally came.

"Number 128?" the employee called out his number, and Min Sung nodded in confirmation.

"This way, please," the employee said and pointed toward a table, which seemed to have been cleaned just a moment ago. Taking the menu from the employee, Min Sung looked through the five items.

[Sea Squirt Soup]

[House Special Soup]

[Raw Octopus Soup]

[Raw Abalone Soup]

[Special Combination Soup]

There was a picture next to each item, making it easier for the customers to decide. The Special Combination Soup at thirty-five thousand won was the most expensive item on the menu, while the cheapest and most basic was the Sea Squirt Soup. However, Min Sung wanted a proper experience. As tempting as the raw octopus and the raw abalone soup were, he felt that the best place to start was the raw fish. Having made up his mind, he rang the bell on the table.

"Yes, what can I get you?" a woman dressed in a black uniform asked.

"I'll take a House Special, please."

"Sure."

With a brief answer, the employee went away with the champion's order. While waiting for his food to arrive, Min Sung looked around the restaurant as usual. Made of light-toned wood, the interior was quite sophisticated for a raw fish soup restaurant. The walls were covered with pictures of the owner and the celebrities who had eaten at the restaurant. Although it was packed at lunch hour, the restaurant wasn't all that noisy since most people were focused on eating.

While waiting for his food, Min Sung looked around to see what the customers were eating. From the looks of it, the House Special seemed to be the most popular. Although there were a handful of people who had gotten the Special Combination Soup, it didn't look all that appetizing. In fact, the unusual combination of raw seafood floating on cold broth seemed somewhat excessive.

Then, another dish came into view: a Korean-style poke. Imagining the tender slices of raw fish combined with the fresh flavors of nature, Min Sung realized that the raw seafood soups weren't the only items available in the restaurant.

'Maybe I should've gotten that instead,' he thought. However, remembering the dish that had brought him to the restaurant in the first place, Min Sung retracted the thought quickly.

Chapter 42

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

'Always follow your guts,' Min Sung told himself, almost as if trying to justify his decision. When it came to spicy raw fish soup, the raw fish variant was arguably the way to experience the dish. Then, along with a series of side dishes, a bowl of spicy raw fish soup arrived at the champion's table.

'That was a lot quicker than I thought. Maybe it doesn't take that long to prepare, after all,' he thought as his stomach growled loudly, almost as if reminding the champion of his hunger. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, Min Sung looked at the soup, paying no attention to any of the side dishes. The sight of ice cubes floating on the red, spicy broth, which was garnished with a mountain of fresh vegetables and slices of raw fish, was more than enough to bring out the champion's appetite.

'I feel refreshed just looking at it,' he thought as he looked at the bowl next to it, which was filled with a mound of white flour noodles. It had to be an additional component to the dish, which could be added to the soup at the end.

'Let's give this a try,' Min Sung thought, mixing the ingredients in the soup together, which all spun together like a tornado. Once all the ingredients were mixed sufficiently with the broth, Min Sung picked up a big mouthful of the fresh, spicy concoction, after which, he smacked his lips and brought the spoonful to his mouth. An explosion of sour, sweet and savory flavors filled his mouth.

'Cold. Refreshing. Delicious!'

The slices of raw fish had an incredibly satisfying chew to it, which far exceeded Min Sung's expectations. On top of that, the refreshing, subtle bitterness of the vegetables tickled his nose. In that moment, Min Sung couldn't feel more validated about his choice.

Slurping the broth, Min Sung savored the flavors that were dangerously addictive, which came in waves; first, the tartness of the vinegar, followed by sweetness, heat, and savoriness. The red spicy sauce was perfectly balanced in flavor, and there was not a single flavor that was overly dominating. On top of that, as the ice started to melt, it brought the flavor of the broth out even more. At that point, Min Sung started to eat faster. The freshness of the dish was comparable to that of fishermen eating their catch on the boat.

Among the components that made the dish, were the slices of sweet, crunchy pear. Mixed with the subtle bitterness of the vegetables, the abundant slices of pear made the dish even more exciting. Needless to say, it wasn't long before every bit of the ingredients disappeared into the champion's mouth, leaving only the broth in the bowl. Now was the time for the white flour noodles to shine.

Mixing the bowl of noodles into the icy, red broth until the noodles had soaked up the savory broth, Min Sung picked some up with his chopsticks and slurped away like a dragon soaring up to the sky. Not only were they cold, chewy, and refreshing, but the flavors were also deep and complex. The only downside was that the noodles were the finale of the dish.

After slurping away at the last strand of noodle, Min Sung looked down at what was left of the broth in the bowl with lingering attachment. At that moment, noticing that he had eaten all the noodles, one of the waiters asked in a dry, uninterested tone of voice, "Would you like some rice, sir?"

'I have definitely eaten too much, but I think I can handle it,' Min Sung thought as he nodded affirmatively. At which point, the waiter trudged toward the kitchen and brought Min Sung a bowl of rice. After looking at the bowl, Min Sung took a deep breath and removed the aluminum lid, looking at the steamy pile of white rice instead.

'Wait, this is hot!' he thought, confused. The combination of icy-cold broth with a bowl of hot rice was unthought-of. Tilting his head, Min Sung mixed the rice into what was left of the broth without hesitation. Like spring snow melting in warm sunlight,

the hot steaming rice melted into the cold, refreshing broth. Taking a spoonful of it, Min Sung brought the combination to his mouth. At that point, he realized why people mixed the two things of contradictory nature together.

Neither hot nor cold, the concoction was at a comfortable temperature.

'So, this is why people mix hot steaming rice into icy cold broth.'

Sweet, sour, yet smooth, the waves of flavor were deeply impressive. After eating every grain of rice and every drop of the broth, Min Sung put the broth down on the table. Then, wiping his mouth with a tissue, he guzzled down on a cup of cold, clean water, washing down all the lingering aftertaste, including the spice.

—

After dropping Min Sung off at his house, Ho Sung met with Min Wook Cho, who was far more driven and daring.

"It's time to make a choice: Will you join the Diamond Clan, or will you start a war with us?" Min Wook asked the head of the Halls Clan forcefully, who stared at Ho Sung in a daze, drooling. No clan would dare start a war with another clan led by a level-200 hunter.

'Level 200? How can one change so drastically in such a short time?' the head of the Halls Clan thought. Level-200 hunters were granted the ability to use the Aura at their disposal. However, they were unheard of in the world of thugs since any hunters with potential tended to get hired by the Central Institute or its regional sub-branches. Or, they would join a bigger, more respected clans in order to achieve their ambitions.

Yet, Ho Sung Lee was an experienced veteran who had started from the bottom. Now a level 200, he went back to the streets after achieving the unachievable. Again, being an Aura user was a wall far too high for most ordinary hunters. In which case, the head of the Halls clan had no choice but to surrender. Upon confirming his surrender, Min Wook looked toward Ho Sung and smiled brightly. However, Ho Sung, looking ambivalent, scratched his head. Even without Ho Sung's involvement, Min Wook Cho had been active as his right-hand man. Being the quick-witted man that Min Wook was, it wasn't odd that things were moving along as quickly as they were. However, there was a lingering sense of apprehension in Ho Sung's mind. There were some loose ends that needed to be tied up.

"Sir, with the Halls Clan on our side, our clan is expanding to Non-Hyeon and Sinnonhyeon. We've already grown to over thirty members!" Min Wook said with excitement. However, Ho Sung was simply not in a celebratory mood.

"I'm leaving you in charge. I have somewhere to be."

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere," Ho Sung replied haphazardly, getting into his car and driving off. Looking in the direction Ho Sung had driven off, Min Wook let out a frustrated sigh.

—

'Getting bored,' Min Sung thought while sprawled across the couch. At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Ho Sung's face appeared on the intercom's screen. As soon as Min Sung opened the door, Ho Sung rushed into the house and said cautiously, "I'm sorry to barge in like this sir, but I have something to tell you."

"What brings you here?" the champion asked, sitting on the couch with his legs crossed. Walking up to him awkwardly, Ho Sung replied, "Well… You remember how I used to be the head of the Diamond Clan at one point, right?"

"And?"

"Uh… hm. So… I… was thinking about putting the clan back together again…"

Hearing that, the champion looked toward Ho Sung and snorted, which gave Ho Sung a pressing need to explain himself.

"You see, once I put my clan back together, I was planning on training people and sending them out across the country in search of restaurants worth visiting. That way, I can better serve you…"

'Beep!' the TV sounded off as the champion turned it on.

"… Sir?"

"Do what you want."

"… Wait, do you mean that? Are you really OK with me doing this?"

"Also, from now on, don't come here until I call you. I'll be trying out different restaurants on my own."

Hearing that, after staring at the champion in a daze, Ho Sung took a second before bowing.

"O-of course!" he said.

Meanwhile, while flipping through the channels, a certain channel caught the champion's attention. It was a documentary on various dishes around the globe. While it was visually striking, the show was nearing its end by the time Min Sung had changed to that channel.

"Is there a computer?" Min Sung asked.

At which point, Ho Sung pointed in a certain direction and said, "This way, sir. I set up an office for you."

"I see. You may go now."

Waving at Ho Sung for him to leave, Min Sung went into his office.

—

After Min Sung switched the computer on, the Windows background appeared on the screen in less than a second.

"That was fast," he said, impressed. Pulling up a search engine, he looked up the documentary he had just watched on TV. Then, while he was killing time reading up on the show and watching various excerpt clips, a certain playlist to the right of the browser caught his eye.

"Muk-bang BJ?" he said, tilting his head. Upon clicking on it, a short advertisement appeared, followed by the BJ, which was short for Broadcasting Jockey. Muk-bang was a form of internet broadcast where a BJ not only tasted the food but also showcased their eating ability to an online audience. Resting his chin on his hand, Min Sung watched the show intently. Whenever the food went into the BJ's mouth, the audience responded with comments such as: 'That looks scrumptious!' or 'You make that look amazing!'

Sitting in front of an enormous amount of food, the BJ made a feast of it. In addition to the host's impressive ability to eat large amounts of food, there was another interesting aspect to the show. Commonly called 'Moon Balloons,' they were a reward system of sorts that allowed the audience to support the BJ of their liking through monetary means, allowing the BJs to make an income off their show. In order to please the audience and earn more balloons, BJs often behaved in bizarre, comedic manner.

Having learned about internet broadcast through that video, Min Sung logged into a website called 'Paprika TV,' which hosted an impressive array of internet broadcast shows of various genres. Looking into the monitor with eyes filled with interest, Min Sung clicked 'Sign On,' in order to create an account on the website.

"Username, huh…"

After some brief contemplation, the champion made up his mind.

"Username: Ho Sung Lee."

After entering all the necessary information, Min Sung clicked 'Done.' After which, a message appeared, saying, 'Welcome to Paprika TV!'

'Does this mean I can start watching videos now?' Min Sung asked himself. The idea of live online broadcasting was fascinating to him. First, he started off by searching for Muk-bangs hosted by the website. Then, one particular show with a jaw-dropping number of views popped out.

[Special Muk-Bang BJ: Hannah Lee. Twelve Bowls of Black Bean Noodles!?]

"Twelve bowls?!" Min Sung let out with an expression of shock on his face, clicking the title of the video right after.

Chapter 43

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

"Man, is he really OK with this or not? Why did he have to be so vague? Eh, I'm sure he meant it's OK," Ho Sung murmured, nodding while lighting a cigarette.

"You know what? Screw it! I'm doing this! What do I have to lose?"

Breathing smoke out of his mouth, Ho Sung's eyes gleamed with dangerous determination.

"Hold on! Why am I worried about losing it already? All I gotta do is leave him alone when he's eating, that's all. Hehe, besides, what's the worst that could happen? Those goons of mine are doing all the hard work anyway. I just gotta sit back, relax, and let the money roll in. Even better, Min Sung Kang even told me not to bother him! Hehe, this must be my lucky day!"

Smiling with delight, Ho Sung took his phone out to give Min Wook Cho a call.

—

In one week, with Ho Sung's active involvement, the Diamond Clan grew at an exponential rate. With only two additional clans joining them, it now had over sixty members. Since taking over a clan was as easy as bringing the head into submission, the Diamond Clan had been able to grow in size with ease. However, a sense of apprehension still lingered in Ho Sung's heart.

'He hasn't called in a while,' he thought. For some reason, Ho Sung couldn't stop wondering about the champion. 'What's this guy up to?'

—

[Thank you for your purchase! Enjoy your 20,000 moon balloons!]

After buying some moon balloons, Min Sung joined Hannah Lee's server in order to experience the famous Muk-bang BJ. Due to her popularity, the messages in the chat window were popping up at an incredible rate. Because she was dressed in skimpy, provocative clothing, it seemed like her sense of style was contributing to her enormous number of subscribers. However, despite the BJ's sexy, attractive appearance, Min Sung wasn't all that drawn to her. What did impress him, however, was her ability to eat large amounts of food while maintaining her shape.

'Maybe she has a strict workout regimen,' Min Sung thought. Then, the BJ show started. Her table was filled with all sorts of dumplings of various sizes and fillings: steamed pork buns, fried-dumplings, fish, shrimp, braised short ribs, etc, which added up to a whopping one hundred dumplings. It was an enormous amount of food.

"All right! Let's get this show started! Here we go!"

With that, the BJ picked up her wooden disposable chopsticks and grabbed a dumpling, dipped it in soy sauce and started eating. Although she wasn't exactly a fast eater, her pace was consistent and unwavering. By the time she had reached her thirtieth dumpling, Min Sung gifted her two thousand moon balloons.

[2,000 Moon Balloons from HoSungLee!]

A message and an image indicating Min Sung's contribution appeared in the chat window.

'Whoa! Two thousand!'

'Holy smokes!'

'Is this guy loaded or what!?'

'2,000 balloons. This guy's at a-whole-nother level.'

'Holy crap! How much is that worth?'

'A moon balloon costs one hundred won, so that adds up to two hundred thousand won. Don't mind me, I'm just some nerd who loves to explain things to people.'

'Whoa!'

After Min Sung's generous contribution, praises came pouring out from the audience. Of course, the BJ was just as ecstatic. Springing up from her seat while still eating, she threw her arms into the air and screamed with joy.

"Oh, my! Who is this generous gentleman!? Thank you! Thank you so much! I love you!" Hannah Lee said, bowing politely and repeatedly. Then, with a piece of dumpling still in her hand, she started dancing to the music in a manner that was both humorous and sexy.

After the brief celebration, she resumed eating her dumplings. At that point, Min Sung chuckled, thinking, 'It wouldn't be fun if we stopped there, would it?'

Then, he typed a message on the chat window.

'HoSungLee: If you eat fifty more, I'll throw in another 10,000.'

At that, the chat window exploded.

'Lolol!'

'Fifty!? LOL, dumpling overload!'

'Wow, for 10k? I would do it.'

'This guy sure knows how to make things more exciting.'

'Fifty dumplings. lolol!'

'What is this, poker? Lol!'

'10k balloons!?

That's a million won! This guy's a baller!'

At a loss for words, Hannah Lee stared at the chat window.

"10k for fifty dumplings, huh?" she said with her hand on her forehead. Then, after some contemplation, she nodded and sprung up from her seat, looking determined.

"Let's do it!" she said with a dumpling in her mouth. Soon, while she was still eating, fifty additional dumplings arrived at the BJ's house. After that, she started chomping away fiercely at the dumplings to aggressive, battle music. Soon, having eaten one hundred and fifty dumplings, Hannah Lee leaned back in her chair and made a V with her fingers as a sign of victory.

Seeing that, Min Sung let out, "Impressive," and gifted the ten thousand moon balloons like he had promised.

[10,000 Moon Balloons from HoSungLee!]

'Whoa! HE REALLY DID IT!'

'Holy crap… What does he do?!'

'This guy's the real deal.'

'Baller!'

'LOLOL, I can't believe she actually ate a hundred and fifty dumplings!'

Rubbing her belly to the camera, the BJ breathed laboriously. At that moment, another message from Min Sung appeared in the chat.

'HoSungLee: Another 10,000 if you eat four bags of instant noodles.'

Of course…

'Lololololol'

'LOL Savage!'

'Another 10k!? LOL'

'Hannah, you've met your match lol'

'A hundred and fifty dumplings and four bags of instant noodles… LOL'

'Don't do it…'

'The guy's gonna get this girl killed! Lololol'

'He's training her at this point lol'

'Are you doing this, Hannah??'

'Training. I'm dying LOLOL'

Aside from the flood of messages appearing in the chat at an inconceivable rate, the number of viewers also started to skyrocket. At which point, the BJ stared at her monitor with a dumbfounded look on her face.

—

Another week had passed without Ho Sung hearing a word from the champion. At that point, it was safe to assume that the champion had let him off. As the thought occurred to him, Ho Sung convinced himself that it was time to pull his life together. After all, although he could no longer get the champion's help in dungeons, Ho Sung was now level 200, and he wielded an incredibly powerful weapon, which gave him a major boost in confidence.

—

Four miscellaneous types sat at a table in a dimly-lit room, each representing their branch of the Institute.

"There's an individual who's been taking over the underground trading rights. His name is Ho Sung Lee. Level 200," Soo Hyun Kim, the representative of the Northern Branch said.

"So, he's working his way up from the bottom, huh?"

"That's right. We're considering sending an informant who's at a similar level as Ho Sung Lee. When the time is right, we'll bring the Diamond Clan down from the inside," Soo Hyun said, nodding. At that moment, the representative of the Western Branch tilted their head ambiguously and replied, "If our objective is to take this guy out, wouldn't it be more efficient to send someone in the 300s?"

"That would make it too obvious. We'd be intercepted by the Central Institute before our plan to take them over even started. Ji Yoo Kim is incredibly quick witted. We have to be discreet."

"I'm aware that our path to power isn't an easy one, but is it really necessary to be on the lookout for some street thug?" the representative of the Western Branch said. To which, Soo Hyun, tapping his finger against the tabletop, said, "We must have a strong foundation if we are to become the central power. If we don't need a reason, then we can strike the Central Institute right this instant. But…" lowering his voice, Soo Hyun added, "… that will just make us look bad to the world. In order to take over the Central Institute, we need a 'cause.'"

The three representatives nodded simultaneously to that in agreement.

"Let's say we take over the Central Institute. What happens to the regional branches?"

"There are plenty of people out there we can use as puppets. Once we take over the Central Institute, the entire country will be ours."

"What happens next?" the representative of the Western Branch asked, and a long, slow smile appeared on Soo Hyun's face.

"Revolution."

—

After Ho Sung Lee got out of the car and stuck a cigarette in his mouth, Min Wook Cho rushed toward him and lit the cigarette with a Zippo lighter. Taking a deep drag off of it, Ho Sung stuck his hand in his pocket. Getting out of the dozens of cars parked around him, his clansmen turned toward him, bowed at a ninety-degree angle and shouted, "Sir!"

'Now, this is more like it!' Ho Sung thought with a big smile on his face as he looked at his clan, which had grown substantially. Being an aura user brought one splendor and enough power to become a figure of ultimate power on the streets. Having acquired about 70 percent of the trading rights within Seoul, Ho Sung was now the head of the Diamond Clan, which had hundreds of members. It was all almost too good to be true. Taking his time smoking his cigarette, Ho Sung looked up at the building in front of him, where he was set to deliver a speech to the members of various clans in the conference hall. Not only did the building shine brightly, but it was also quite big.

'Who would've thought I'd be giving a speech at a place like this?' Ho Sung thought, smiling, his nostrils flaring.

"Shall we?"

At the boss' command, Min Wook Cho nodded and signaled the clansmen, who were dressed in black suits, to move. At which point, the clansmen walked simultaneously like a swarm of ants and lined up behind Ho Sung.

'I'm Ho Sung Lee, Head of the Diamond Clan!' Ho Sung thought, puffing his chest with confidence. Then, just as he was about to go into the building, a man walked out of it and bumped past Ho Sung, who staggered from the impact. While Min Wook Cho helped him up, Ho Sung chuckled and narrowed his eyes.

"You, there. Stop right there."

At Ho Sung's command, the man stopped in his tracks and turned toward the head of the Diamond Clan unhurriedly.

[Lv223 Min Soo Choi: Mercenary]

It wasn't until then that the text above the man's head came into Ho Sung's view.

'An aura user?' Ho Sung said to himself. On top of that, the man was at a higher level than him.

Chapter 44

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

"Are you talking to me?" the level-223 hunter said in a low voice, equipping his weapon, a black longsword, with an intimidating glare. Imbued with blue aura, the sword gave off a strange, mysterious feeling.

"Who do you think you are ordering me around? Ah, I see. You're looking for an excuse to fight. In that case, I'll be glad to give you one," Min Soo said, spitting on the ground and walking toward Ho Sung, adding, "Diamond Clan, huh? More like thugs who mug people for a living if you ask me!"

"All right. I think you're crossing the line there…"

"Pick up your weapon," with disinterested eyes, the mercenary told Ho Sung, who scoffed and thought, 'Is this guy serious? Does he not see that he's outnumbered?'

Then, just as he was about to command his clansmen to attack the mercenary, Min Wook Cho came up to him and whispered, "S-sir? I think it would be better to show than to tell in this case."

At which point, Ho Sung turned to Min Wook with a puzzled expression and said, "… What?"

Eyeing the level-223 mercenary, Min Wook added, "Not only is he an aura user, but I also think that it's not wise to involve the entire clan just so we could teach that person a lesson. Even if we were to succeed, our clansmen's trust toward you would drop. I think it's best that you take care of this personally."

Hearing that, Ho Sung felt a drop of sweat run down his neck. When he looked around at his clansmen with shaky eyes, he saw that they were all looking at him nervously.

"Again, I think it's best that you take him on yourself, sir."

Breaking out into cold sweats, Ho Sung barely managed to swallow the words, 'But he's twenty levels above me!' Backing out was not an option, and as the head of the clan, he couldn't afford to show cowardice in front of his clansmen. At the same time, the opponent's level was significantly higher than his, and he most likely had much more combat experience. As Ho Sung's confidence dwindled and sweat soaked his bangs, the mercenary said again in a low, scratchy voice, "Pick up your weapon," glaring at Ho Sung fiercely. There was no way out.

Looking around, Ho Sung realized that his entire clan had their eyes fixed on him, looking for confirmation that they really were following someone worthy more so than hoping that their leader would win the fight.

'… Damn it,' Ho Sung let out internally, closing his eyes. Then, he made up his mind and took his weapon out of his inventory, the one the champion had given him: the Warlord's Sword. Upon seeing the impressive sword on their leader's hand, the clansmen shouted, impressed.

"Ohhhhh!"

Similarly, the mercenary also furrowed his brow at the sight of the legendary weapon in Ho Sung's hand. However, knowing that he was at a higher level and much more experienced in combat, he remained unintimidated. In fact, his eyes burned with dangerous determination as if he was ready to fight at any given minute.

'… This might just be my last day on this planet. Damn it! I didn't even get to give a speech,' Ho Sung thought as a wave of fear washed over him.

'Maybe I should just make Min Wook the new leader and walk away. Besides, I lost every bit of my dignity to Min Sung Kang anyway. So, even if I were to walk away from this, nothing would change…' Ho Sung thought. At that moment, the consequence of that decision played like a film in his head: walking away as a laughingstock and the subject of ridicule after submitting to some mercenary whom he had encountered at random. Going through that, Ho Sung scoffed. Furrowing his brow, the mercenary cracked his neck, and the clansmen stared at their leader in confusion.

'What was I thinking? It's not like I'm fighting Min Sung Kang or something. This guy's only twenty levels higher than I am. I can't believe I was thinking about slipping my way out of this,' Ho Sung thought, gritting his teeth and telling himself as he was filled with self-loathing, 'I'd rather die fighting.'

"You asked for it," Ho Sung said, determined to fight. At which point, the mercenary, who had been waiting impatiently with his arms crossed and his sword lodged on the ground, pulled his sword out as if saying, 'Finally!'

Sensing that the two were about to fight, the clansmen backed away from them in order

to give them space.

"Let's see what you got," the mercenary said tauntingly, curling lips into a sneer and waving at Ho Sung as he would a puppy. Seeing that, Ho Sung gripped the sword in his hand tightly, and what appeared to be white streams of air coiled around his arms as he boosted his movement and attack speed. Then, a blue aura appeared around his legendary sword.

'I don't have to be a disgrace to myself, especially without Min Sung Kang around,' Ho Sung thought, charging toward the mercenary without hesitation. Looking at his opponent with deep black eyes, which were as dark as his sword, the mercenary countered Ho Sung's blow.

'Clang!'

Sparks flew out as the two blades collided in front of the entire Diamond Clan. Seeing how the two remained even with each other, the clansmen became impressed by their leader's ability to fight an opponent who was twenty levels higher than him. Of course, as the person directly involved in the situation, Ho Sung felt his newly enhanced combat ability firsthand.

'I think I might have a chance against the guy!' Ho Sung thought as his sword came into contact with the mercenary's. In fact, Ho Sung started to regain his confidence as he realized that he was stronger and faster. The hope made his heart beat with excitement. At that moment, Ho Sung's sword grazed past the mercenary's shoulder. Since the Warlord's Sword was one of the best weapons for hunters in their 200s, Ho Sung was able to inflict damage to the mercenary, who was twenty levels higher than him, allowing him to pressure his opponent. Assuming that the mercenary was even with Ho Sung in terms of combat abilities, Ho Sung had the upperhand in terms of strength and speed. Although the mercenary's skill was a wildcard, having a skill wasn't exclusive to the mercenenary. However, what set the two apart was their combat experience.

Being much more of a seasoned fighter than Ho Sung, the mercenary put his experience to full use, allowing him to use unforeseeable factors to his advantage, and it wasn't long before the fight took a turn in the mercenary's favor.

Taking a handful of a white mysterious powder, the mercenary threw it at Ho Sung's face, who backed away, startled. At that moment, the mercenary crouched and took the opportunity to draw near to Ho Sung. Then, while Ho Sung was still struggling to see, the black blade came up from underneath him, out of nowhere.

"Ugh!" grunting, Ho Sung jolted his face to the right, and the blade grazed past his chin. Then, before he regained his balance, the mercenary swung his sword diagonally. At which point, Ho Sung, in a hurry, raised his sword vertically and blocked the blow. Although one typically fell backward when they sustained a blow before they regained their balance, that was only true when the hunter was equipped with an ordinary weapon. In the case of Ho Sung, who was armed with the high-grade legendary weapon called 'Warlord's Sword,' the sword absorbed the weight of the mercenary's blow in its entirety.

Caught by surprise, the mercenary hesitated. At which point, Ho Sung, knowing by instinct that the time to strike was now, kicked the ground and used the momentum to deliver a fatal counterattack. As Ho Sung's sword penetrated the mercenary's heart, the mercenary's eyes started to turn blood red. Then…

"Cough!"

… blood came gushing out of his mouth, and the mercenary looked down at the sword, never to look up again, standing completely still with his eyes open. Breathing laboriously, Ho Sung stared intently at the mercenary and pulled his sword out of the opponent's chest. The mercenary's body fell lifelessly to the side, and the clansmen exploded into cheers and applause. Looking at his clansmen cheering for him in a daze, he felt chills run down from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

'… I did it,' he thought as a wave of unexplainable emotion, which had nothing to do with the fact that he had survived the deadly duel, washed over him. Being the center of applause and gazes of admiration, Ho Sung raised his sword up above his head, and the clansmen exploded into even louder cheers and applause.

—

"… He's dead?" Soo Hyun Kim, the miscellaneous type representative of the Northern Branch, said with widened eyes.

"Yes, sir. Min Soo Choi has been killed by the target," the subordinate replied, breaking out into cold sweats. Leaning back in his chair, Soo Hyun chuckled and said, "I underestimated this Ho Sung Lee. I really thought the mercenary would be enough."

At that, the subordinate, looking at Soo Hyun nervously and cautiously, said, "Should I find another mercenary…"

"No. That won't be necessary. Seems like our target is much better equipped than we thought," Soo Hyun replied, smiling bitterly.

"According to our analysis, the target was armed with the "Warlord's Sword.'"

After brief contemplation, Soo Hyun signaled to the subordinate with his chin and said, "That'll be all for now."

Hearing that, the subordinate sprung up from his seat, bowed politely and left the room. Meanwhile, Soo Hyun tapped the screen on his table, and a video appeared on the projector screen on the wall. After a series of dial tones, the representatives of the three remaining branches started to respond to Soo Hyun's call.

"Gentlemen. Seems like our mercenary met his demise," Soo Hyun started off with a bitter smile. After hearing that, three distinct looks appeared on the faces of the three representatives on the screen. While the representative of the Eastern Branch seemed intrigued or entertained, the representative of the Western Branch had an annoyed, dissatisfied look on his face. Meanwhile, the representative of the Southern Branch remained unfazed. Unlike the three representatives, Soo Hyun smiled casually. Seeing that, the representative of the Southern Branch asked in a brusque voice, "You seem confident. Do you have another plan in mind?"

Crossing his arms, Soo Hyun sat on his desk, looked toward the screen and smiled wider, saying, "It's only a slight setback. Doesn't mean it's over."

"So? What do you have in mind?"

"Our pawn is down, so it's time to put the rook to work."

The representative of the Southern Branch nodded to that and said, "So, using Ho Sung Lee as bait to draw Ji Yoo Kim out of her nest. Was this your plan all along?"

"Of course not. I'm just playing the game. That's all. But now that we've come this far, I have a feeling that things will be much easier than I'd thought. After all…" Soo Hyun dragged on, his eyes bending into the shape of black crescent moon. "… Ji Yoo Kim is much too soft."

At that point, the representative of the Eastern Branch chuckled and said, "You do realize that she's the strongest one of us, right?"

"The king can't last when isolated."

"And if she takes the bait? What happens then?" the representative of the Southern Branch asked. Soo Hyun smiled and replied, "We'll chip away at the Central Institute little by little until it rots from the inside."

"Slow and steady."

"That's right."

"Ah! Seems like our plan might come to fruition a lot sooner than we thought!" the representative of the Eastern Branch said, overjoyed.

While the representative of the Southern Branch clicked his tongue irritably, the representative of the Western Branch showed no interest, as if he found it all too boring.

Looking at them, Soo Hyun smiled and said, "That's all I have for you. I'll give you all a call in the near future. We're about to get busy, so I suggest you savor your free time while you can." With that, Soo Hyun tapped the screen on his desk again and ended the conference call.

Chapter 45

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Shortly after Min Sung clicked a certain image, a video player on the web browser popped up. Since the show wasn't starting for another five minutes, there was a picture indicating that the show was on standby. On the other hand, the audience exploded as Min Sung's nickname appeared in the chat window.

'There he is!'

'The man himself!'

'Looks like Hannah's putting on some weight tonight lol'

'The cruelty that is HoSungLee.'

'The badass!'

'Is that really him??'

Paying no attention to the messages directed at him in the chat, Min Sung stared into the monitor and waited patiently for the show to begin. Shortly after, Hannah Lee, being the professional that she was, started the show right on the dot.

"Hello everyone!" she greeted her audience as she put on background music. Then, noticing the champion's nickname in the chat, she put on a startled look and said, "Back so soon, HoSungLee? Should I be scared? Haha!"

Seeing the chat blowing up with messages about HoSungLee, the BJ sighed and said, "Hey, cutie. Be gentle with me today, OK?"

Watching the BJ speak into the camera in an enticing manner, Min Sung chuckled. There was sexual innuendo in the way she spoke, which was definitely one of the major contributing factors to her drawing in more viewers. In some sense, she was rather competent at her job, and the fact that she was one of the most popular BJs on the internet was proof of that.

"Now that I think about it, you don't say anything unless you have a request. What's with that, HoSungLee?" the BJ said, putting her face close to the camera and adding with a cute expression on her face, "Hmmm? C'mooon! Don't be shyyy!"

At that, Min Sung furrowed his brow and said in the chat, 'Aren't you going to eat?'

"Hmph! The delivery guy isn't even here yet," the BJ said, pouting her lips as if disappointed by Min Sung's reaction. At that moment, her doorbell rang. "Ah! Speak of the devil! Stay right there, HoSungLee. Don't you go anywhere!"

With that, she rushed to the door with quick, short steps. Upon returning to her desk, she laid the food out in front of the camera and prepared to start eating. Meanwhile, the chat window was still getting flooded with messages about HoSungLee.

'HoSungLee! At it again!?'

'Is he gonna smother her with balloons again? Lol'

'If only I could afford as many moon balloons as this guy. I'd love to be smothered by Hannah.'

'Somebody just got out of the military lol'

'LOL'

'Ya'll buncha perverts lol'

While the chat was getting filled with lewd messages, the BJ finished setting up the desk with a variety of street food: tteokbokki, fritters, soondae, dumplings, and fishcakes.

"You boys better behave before I kick you out!" the BJ said. At which point, the messages in the chat became noticeably more appropriate.

"HoSungLee! You got any special requests for me today?" the BJ asked in a charming yet confident manner.

'Still confident, huh? All right. I'll play your game. Perhaps I went a little too easy on you,' Min Sung thought, his eyes gleaming dangerously as he typed into the chat.

'HoSungLee: 50,000 if you eat all that and drink one hundred bottles of Yakult in addition to it.'

Seeing Min Sung's request, the BJ's face grew pale.

"One hundred bottles of Yakult!? C'mon, HoSungLee! Who could possibly drink that many!?"

With his arms crossed, Min Sung remained unfazed and waited for her reply patiently. Meanwhile, the chat window was blowing up with messages.

'The savage strikes again!'

'One hundred bottles of Yakult? That's just crazy talk.'

'I love you Hannah, but I don't know about this.'

'C'mon man! Where's your faith!? You can do it Hannah! Think about the number of balloons you'll end up with!'

After brief contemplation, the BJ shook her head and said, "I'll settle for fifty. One hundred is seriously pushing it. Think about it! Who would drink one hundred bottles of Yakult back to back!?"

At that moment, a message appeared in the chat.

[HoSungLee has left the room.]

"Eh!? No! No! OK! You win! I take it back! Come back! Come baaaack!" the BJ shouted desperately, waving both of her hands like a fly. Unfortunately, since Min Sung had already left the server, the BJs desperate cry went unheard by the champion, who nonchalantly browsed the website in search of another muk-bang server.

To further add to Hannah Lee's dismay, she wasn't the only muk-bang BJ around. The biggest selling point of a muk-bang BJ was their inhuman ability to

eat tremendous amounts of food. However, while Min Sung was looking for another muk-bang server, a series of alarms sounded off, indicating he had received direct messages. Annoyed by the sound, Min Sung clicked on the notification and checked the messages.

'HoSungLee! Hannah's up for the challenge!'

'Please come back!'

'Hey! She's gonna do it! Lol!'

'You're missing out!'

Seeing that his inbox was being flooded with incoming messages, Min Sung gave Hannah Lee's server another chance. When he joined the server again, he saw the BJ had already prepared a tower of Yakult bottles in front of her. All one hundred of them.

"Wow, HoSungLee. That was cruel, you know that? You didn't even hesitate a second! All right! Here you have it! Yakult! All one hundred bottles of it! Happy now? You just watch. I'm gonna do this, damn it!" the BJ said, springing up from her seat and balling her hand into a tight fist with determination.

"Let's go!"

Then, returning to her seat quietly, she started eating.

—

Min Sung looked into the screen of his computer at the BJ on the floor, unconscious, peachy-colored liquid flowing out of her mouth. Having received a call, the paramedics broke the door open and carried the BJ out. Seeing that, Min Sung let out a deep sigh and said, "Maybe I was pushing it."

'This content is temporarily unavailable. Please try again at a later time.'

"…"

After some brief contemplation, Min Sung grabbed the mouse and rewarded the BJ handsomely.

[150,000 Moon Balloons from HoSungLee!]

[HoSungLee has left the room.]

Although the show had ended, the chat window still remained active. Seeing the exorbitant amount of moon balloons, the chat exploded as if it had been hit by a storm. Meanwhile, turning his computer off, Min Sung rose from his seat and said while shaking his head, "I better stay away from this whole muk-bang thing."

—

Worshipped by his clansmen as a king, Ho Sung was on cloud nine. Just like Min Wook had said, the real reward for defeating the mercenary was the trust of his clansmen. Since the duel, the way in which the clansmen looked at their leader had become noticeably different. As the head of the clan, Ho Sung's victory in that duel had proved his worthiness to his clansmen. After that, the clansmen became fiercely loyal to their leader.

'Good thing I didn't back out! Hehe,' Ho Sung thought as a smile inadvertently spread across his face. Then, one of the clansmen came up to him with a bottle of soju.

"Sir! Allow me to pour you a glass."

After delivering his speech as arranged, Ho Sung had rented out an entire bar in order to celebrate his success. As that clansman poured Ho Sung a glass, the rest of the clansmen rose from their seats with shot glasses in their hands. To which, Ho Sung, clearing his throat, raised his glass in response and said, "This clan has only one way to go, and that is up. BUT, I know for a fact that I can't do this alone. So, I ask you all to be patient with me and help me to push this clan forward. Now, raise your glass!"

At Ho Sung's command, everyone raised their shot glasses above their heads.

"For the Diamond Clan!" Ho Sung shouted, and the clansmen shouted the chant back in unison. After that, Ho Sung poured the soju down throat in a single gulp.

"Yeah!" Ho Sung let out. The bitterness of the liquid couldn't be more pleasant. Even winning the lottery or a large sum of money at a casino couldn't bring him greater joy. Simply put, Ho Sung was having the happiest day of his life since he'd been born. It felt as though every cell in his body was drunk with a sense of achievement.

'Who would've thought that this clan would get this big? I thought my life was over after I met Min Sung, but I guess I was wrong! Man, life really is unpredictable!' he thought, chuckling. Sticking a cigarette in his mouth, Ho Sung drank blissfully. At that moment…

"Man, things people do for money these days!" Min Wook said, snickering.

"What happened?" Ho Sung asked, looking at Min Wook, who pointed at the news on the TV.

[Tonight, the BJ of a certain internet entertainment platform was admitted into a hospital after consuming an excessive amount of probiotic beverage on camera. Thankfully, one of the viewers at the time called the paramedics, and now, she is on her way to recovery. It has been reported that the BJ consumed the beverage in excess in order to grant a request made by one of the viewers at the time by the name of HoSungLee, who offered to reward her fifty thousand moon balloons for drinking one-hundred bottles of the beverage in addition to the large amount of food she had already consumed.]

Staring at the TV, Ho Sung furrowed his brow and said, "That son of a bitch. Of all names he could've used."

"Right?" Min Wook said, snickering.

"Turn that crap off. Tryin' to have a drink here!"

At Ho Sung's command, Min Wook, still snickering, ran toward the TV and turned it off.

—

"What did you just say?" Ji Yoo asked, looking at Soo Hyun Kim, the miscellaneous type who represented the Northern Branch of the Institute, with deep yet sharp and glaring eyes. Sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, Soo Hyun smiled casually and said, "I told you. We have to take Ho Sung Lee out. One of our own has been killed by this individual. So, I think we have the right to hold this man responsible."

Hearing that, Ji Yoo, deep in thought, clenched her lips tightly. The easiest solution to the problem was to hand Ho Sung Lee over to Soo Hyun. However, there were multiple reasons that kept her from doing so. First, handing Ho Sung Lee over to Soo Hyun meant that the Central Institute would be handing all the underground trading rights within Seoul over to the Northern Branch, which was bound to start a civil war within the Institute. Second, was the mysterious miscellaneous type: Min Sung Kang. The regional branches had yet to know anything about him. Should Min Sung Kang became known to the other four branches, things would surely get complicated. Neither of the choices was advantageous to the Central Institute. Looking at Ji Yoo deep in thought, Soo Hyun chuckled and tilted his head. Then, with a wide, mocking smile on his face, he said confidently, "I gotta say, you're thinking very long and hard about this. He must be really significant to you in some way."

Unfortunately, the odds were stacked against the Central Institute. Nevertheless, Ji Yoo had to turn the tables.

"I think I need to give it some more thought. Say, four days. You can expect to hear from me then," she said, and Soo Hyun, scoffing, rose from his seat and straightened his clothes.

Then, looking down at her as if warning her, he said, "I don't know why you're so protective of this… trash, but all right. If that's what you need. I'll give you one day. No more," and left the room. After he left the room, Ji Yoo put her hand on her forehead, which was emanating intense heat.

Chapter 46

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

"Puahahaha! Ah, this guy," Ho Sung let out, pleased by his clansmen's flattery. Then, seeing Min Wook walking toward him with a serious expression on his face, Ho Sung stopped laughing and asked, "Haha! Hey! Why the long face? What is it?"

"Sir, we need to talk. Privately," Min Wook said with a forced smile. Seeing that, Ho Sung, sticking a cigarette in his mouth, tilted his head in confusion and followed Min Wook out of the bar. When he stepped outside, he felt the warm, stuffy night air.

Blowing the smoke out, Ho Sung took his cardigan off and asked, "What is it?"

After looking around to make sure that no one else was around, Min Wook turned toward Ho Sung and said, "The Central Institute requested a meeting."

"…What?" Ho Sung let out, furrowing his brow with the cigarette still in his mouth and adding, "What for!?"

"Can't say. Maybe they're keeping us in check. We are most likely the fastest growing clan out here," Min Wook replied, shaking his head. Dumbfounded, Ho Sung chuckled and said, "Son of a bitch… How does this make any sense? Why would an international organization even bother with some street thugs? Isn't it strange?"

"I think so too, but shouldn't we give them an answer regardless?"

"I suppose so. When do we need to be there?" Ho Sung asked with a displeased look, clicking his tongue.

"Right now."

"Great," Ho Sung said, chucking the cigarette in his hand. The still-lit cigarette landed on a cat passing by, who shrieked and ran off.

"I'll come with you," Min Wook said.

However, Ho Sung shook his head, patted him on the shoulder and said, "You stay here and take care of the boys. I won't be long."

"Understood, sir," Min Wook replied, looking incredibly nervous.

To which, Ho Sung chuckled and asked, "Pff! You scared?"

"How can I not be? This is the Central Institute we're talking about."

"Don't you worry. Things will work out just fine," Ho Sung said and made his way toward the Central Institute without hesitation.

—

Smoking his cigarette, Ho Sung looked up at the Central Institute's enormous building. Looking at its majestic appearance and soaring height, Ho Sung realized just how far he had come in life.

'The Central Institute. Should I be flattered?'

"Hope they don't make us break up or pay extra taxes," Ho Sung murmured. Standing in front of the building, Ho Sung sobered up almost immediately. The liquid courage seemed to offer little help at that moment. The Central Institute was a completely different world from the Shadow Guild. Rubbing his flushed-red face, Ho Sung made his way into the building that looked like an eight-star hotel. Upon entering, one of the security guards asked him, "Can I help you?"

The fact that even the security guards were level 195 was indicative of just how massive the Central Institute was. Needless to say, an immense amount of pride could be seen in the security guard's eyes. In fact, it was almost overbearing.

'This place makes the Shadow Guild look like child's play.'

Seeing the guard glaring fiercely at the level-200 aura user, Ho Sung realized just how empowered the Central Institute employees felt. However, that wasn't exactly the best posture to take.

'And that's how you get jumped on your way home at night. Tsk, tsk,' Ho Sung thought. Then, taking out his ID, he showed it to the security guard and said, "My name is Ho Sung Lee, and I've been summoned by the Institute. My code is F0301A."

The Central Institute was strict in regulating who came in or out of the facility. Those who weren't affiliated with the Institute had to go through a verification process in order to enter the Institute's building, which required proof of identity and a code sent to the individual by phone ahead of time.

After checking Ho Sung's code with his watch, the security guard opened the door and let Ho Sung in. Giving the guard a look of disdain, Ho Sung went inside, sniffling as he did.

As soon as he stepped into the lobby, he was met by a cold, refreshing air. It was as if the building was being cooled 24/7. There was a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and the height of the ceiling almost gave Ho Sung the impression that he was in a different country.

"The lobby's massive," Ho

Sung murmured, looking toward the center of the lobby. Then, he made his way toward the elevator, one of seemingly eight of them. Following the instructions he had received along with the code, he pressed the button labeled ninety-seven in the elevator, wondering, 'Who am I even seeing anyway?' Shortly after, the elevator arrived on the ninety-seventh floor.

"That was fast," he murmured, stepping out of the elevator and onto a spacious hallway. There was only one room in the hallway, and it was labeled in sparkling gold: VVIP ROOM.

"That must be it."

Standing in front of the room, Ho Sung took a deep breath and prayed, 'Please, God, let nothing happen to my clan.' With that, he knocked on the door, and a woman in uniform opened it. With flowing hair, a well-defined nose, and dazzling eye-makeup, she exuded sexiness.

"Mr. Ho Sung Lee?" she asked, and Ho Sung, staring at her blankly, nodded by reflex. At which point, the woman opened the door completely and let him in.

"Come on in."

Nodding, Ho Sung swallowed nervously and went into the VVIP room, which had windows all around that gave the people inside an incredible view of the city. In the middle of the room, was a couch, where another divinely beautiful woman was sitting. Seeing Ho Sung walking into the room, the woman, looking slightly weary, signaled for him to approach with her eyes.

"Have a seat," she said in a beautiful voice. Tilting his head in confusion, Ho Sung did as he was told. At the same time, he was dazzled by her goddess-like beauty. Yet, to further add to his confusion, there was something familiar about her. Then, after some thought, Ho Sung shouted out, pointing toward her inadvertently as he came to the realization, "You're the blonde lady at Oido!"

At that moment, the secretary came up to him, grabbed his finger and bent it downward forcefully.

"Agh!" Ho Sung let out in pain.

"Who do you think you're pointing at?" she said, glaring fiercely at Ho Sung as if she would eat him alive.

With his face twisting into a scowl from the pain, Ho Sung waved his other hand and said, "OK! I'm sorry! You can stop now!"

Ji Yoo gave the secretary a subtle nod, and the secretary let go of Ho Sung's finger. After which, Ho Sung rubbed his swollen finger. Then, when he looked up, Ji Yoo's hardened expression appeared in his view. Slightly intimidated by her piercing gaze, Ho Sung looked at her cautiously.

"Mr. Lee," she said.

"… Yes?"

"I need you to take this ticket and leave the country at once," Ji Yoo said, pulling out a plane ticket and pushing it toward him on an incredibly luxurious table. Ho Sung, perplexed, looked down at the ticket.

"… What?"

"Like I said, I need you to leave the country. The plane takes off in 2 hours from Incheon International Airport."

"OK, but why?" Ho Sung asked, dumbfounded, chuckling. Hearing that, the secretary, who had been standing by Ho Sung's side, said in a sharp tone of voice, "Mind your tone, sir." At that point, Ho Sung turned to Ji Yoo and realized that her name and title weren't visible. Piecing the puzzle together, he thought, 'Hm… Maybe she's the daughter of one of the higher-ranking officers in the Institute. Whoever she is, it can't hurt to be careful.'

"I-I apologize," he said, straightening his back and his shoulders, tense. Although he was being polite, Ho Sung still had no intention of being forced to play by their rules. "May I ask why you want me to leave Korea? If this has anything to do with my clan…"

At that moment, Ji Yoo looked toward her secretary and said, "Would you step outside for a moment?"

Bowing politely, the secretary walked out of the room. The sound of her heels echoed through the room. Looking around nervously, Ho Sung scratched his head and thought, 'Leave the country? The hell's this about?' At that moment…

"You're being targeted, Mr. Lee," Ji Yoo said.

"… Me? Why?!" Ho Sung asked, flabbergasted.

"If I were to be more specific, you're being hunted by the regional branches. We suspect that they're looking to take over all existing underground trading rights in Seoul and eventually take over the Central Institute."

'The regional branches are after me?' Ho Sung thought, mind boggled. It was all too confusing, and the chaos made him feel sick.

"Why me?"

"Because you hold most of the underground trading rights in Seoul, Mr. Lee. Seems like the time of your success wasn't exactly in your favor," Ji Yoo said, putting her hand on the ticket. "There's no time. Take this and leave the country at once."

At her urging, Ho Sung reminisced about his short legacy, from his first encounter with Min Wook and the man's suggestion to reform the Diamond Clan, which grew at an explosive rate after that, to the epic speech he had delivered after defeating the mercenary in the duel and the afterparty. Those were some of the highlights of his life, and he simply couldn't let go of them.

"And if I don't?" Ho Sung asked, staring into the air.

"You'll die. I guarantee you."

Looking weary, Ho Sung stared blankly at the ticket on the table. If leaving the country had ever been an option, Ho Sung would have done so long ago in order to get away from the champion and his terrifying reign. However, what had kept him from choosing that path were his dignity and self-respect. And now, he was being forced to leave the country for the sake of his life.

"One more thing. Do not, by any circumstance, ask for Min Sung Kang's help."

At that point, surprised to hear the champion's name coming out of her mouth, Ho Sung asked, "You… know him?"

"If he gets involved, the consequences will be catastrophic. So, please don't make this any more complicated than it already is. The reason why we left you alive is because the Central Institute is obligated to remain neutral at all times," Ji Yoo said. It was a subtle yet deadly warning.

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about him," Ho Sung said, chuckling.

"…"

"The Min Sung Kang I know would never get involved in anything like this, even if I were to ask for help. So, you can rest assured."

"That's good to hear. In that case, you better get going. We'll provide you with everything you need."

Although frustrated by the reality that he was reluctant to accept, there was nothing Ho Sung could do. Being at the bottom of the food chain, the right to choose was a luxury to the likes of him. In order to stay alive, Ho Sung had no choice but to do as Ji Yoo had told him. With sad, somber eyes, Ho Sung picked up the plane ticket.

"I understand that this isn't an easy choice to make, but please, try to remember that yours and this country's well being are in my best interest," Ji Yoo said with her eyes closed. Clenching the ticket tightly in his hand, Ho Sung rose from his seat weakly, blinking slowly, and showed himself out with sagging shoulders.

Chapter 47

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Walking down an empty street, Ho Sung stopped in his tracks and looked down at the plane ticket in his hand in a daze. Then, when he looked up, a bridge not too far from him came into view. Walking toward it as if under a spell, he stopped at the center of the bridge and weighed out his options.

'If I leave the country, what do I do about Min Sung Kang? If he finds out that I've gone off the grid, wouldn't he find me and kill me? Yes, he would. He definitely would. That heartless, cold-blooded bastard,' Ho Sung thought, smoking his cigarette while looking down at the Han River. The height was slightly intimidating. After looking down at the dark, gaping water, he looked back at the ticket in his hand.

"Hah! Hong Kong? I thought it would've been somewhere like New York."

Then, he looked up at the moonlit sky as confusion took over him. 'I don't even know what's right or wrong anymore.'

At that moment, the loud screech of a car came out of nowhere, and Ho Sung, startled, turned toward where the sound had come from. A black imported sedan had come to a stop after leaving a pair of long tire trails on the road. Out of which, came four men dressed in high-end black suits. With his eyes wide, Ho Sung looked at them nervously. They had no names or titles. On top of that, one of them was carrying a long sword, which surged with dense aura. It wasn't long before their intimidating appearance seized Ho Sung with terror.

'Actually, maybe leaving Korea isn't such a bad idea,' Ho Sung thought, backing away from the four men approaching him, only to be backed against the safety rail of the bridge. Breaking out into cold sweats, Ho Sung said in a stammer, "Who-who the hell are you?"

Each of the four men had a different response to Ho Sung's question. The man with the sword, Soo Hyun Kim, the miscellaneous type representing the Northern Branch, smiled casually while the Eastern Branch representative hung from the safety rail like a child playing on the playground. Unlike the Western Branch representative, who seemed disgruntled, the Southern Branch representative, the man sporting long, flowing hair, was staring at the road nonchalantly, smoking his cigarette.

"Did you have to bring us along for this small fry?" the Western Branch representative said grumpily. To which, Soo Hyun smiled and replied, "What? We're being productive here! We can even have a meeting while we're at it. Now, that's catching two birds with one stone."

"Why must you always complicate things…" the western representative grumbled, but Soo Hyun shrugged nonchalantly.

"Soo Hyun's the one who came up with the plan to take over the Central Institute. We shouldn't be complaining when we're just tagging along for the ride," the eastern representative said, hanging from the safety rail while looking down at the water. At that moment, the western representative, with a subtle smile, narrowed his eyes and said, "You are absolutely right. Though, I can't help but question your choice of words."

Noticing the tension between the two representatives, Soo Hyun raised his hand and said, "Gentlemen! We have a big day ahead! Let's not waste our energy quarreling over personal grievances. I'd hate to see our group turn against each other. This is one of the reasons why I brought us out here in the first place: friendship."

Meanwhile, the southern representative paid no attention to the ones quarreling and smoked his cigarette with his eyes fixed on the road. As the eastern and western representatives wrapped up their bickering, the southern representative scoffed, looked toward Ho Sung, and said, "I see a plane ticket in his hand. Just as Soo Hyun said."

Watching the man with the sword approaching him, Ho Sung, soaked in sweat, swallowed nervously. Then, standing in front of Ho Sung, Soo Hyun snatched the ticket out of Ho Sung's hand. After checking all the information on it, Soo Hyun waved the ticket in front of Ho Sung and said, "Flying to Hong Kong, I see? A gift from the Central Institute, perhaps?"

Seized by fear, Ho Sung shook, unable to say a word. Unlike dogs, who tended to bite when cornered, Ho Sung couldn't do a thing. He was simply too afraid to take on a miscellaneous type. Staring intently at Ho Sung, Soo Hyun took his phone out, put it on speaker, and made a phone call. After a series of

signal sounds, the call got through.

"Ah! Ji Yoo! Soo Hyun here. We're having a talk with Mr. Lee here, and it seems like somebody was kind enough to send him on a vacation… Does this have anything to do with you wanting more time?"

"Did you follow him?" Ji Yoo asked, and Soo Hyun, smiling, replied, "I had a hunch that you'd do something like this."

"You promised to give me more time!"

"I don't think you get the picture here. It's you who broke the promise."

Hearing that, Ji Yoo gritted her teeth and said, "I know exactly what you're up to. Leave Mr. Lee alone and fall back with your men now. If you don't…"

"Ohh! Is that a threat? If it's war you want, then we would be glad to give it to you. In fact, we have no reason to turn down a fight," Soo Hyun said with a smile. When Ji Yoo remained silent, he let out a small sigh and said, "Things will not work in your favor, no matter what you try. We've already bought out the media and the Shadow Guild. Yet, I get the impression that you have no intention of giving up."

"…"

"Look, Ji Yoo. Organizations will always follow the trends. That's just how it is. So, don't waste your time, energy and resources trying to make something happen. That's just being greedy."

"We'll discuss more in person."

"Everything's in place. We're ready to make this happen. Though, there is one thing that I just couldn't figure out," Soo Hyun said, tilting his head and leaning against the safety rail on his arm next to Ho Sung, and added, "I don't understand why you're so protective over this Ho Sung Lee."

"I just don't want to start a war. The only reason you're trying to bring down the Institute is for war. What makes you think that you have the right to do something like that!?"

"You see, that's what I thought at first: you losing control over the regional branches if we killed Ho Sung Lee. At which point, we would have to go on an all-out war. Or, the way you put it, a civil war."

"It seems like I've overestimated you. You're not as smart as I thought."

"Oh, please. Don't pretend to be stronger than you actually are. Besides, do you even have enough pride left to spare after everything you've done for this country? Anyway, I digress. So, going back to this burning question of mine, I just can't understand why you were so protective over this person. You made it seem like your life depended on him! Unless…" Soo Hyun said. Then, struck by a certain realization, his eyes gleamed dangerously. "… there's something you're not telling me."

At that moment, another phone went off, and Soo Hyun looked toward Ho Sung, whose phone kept ringing in his pocket. Staring intently toward him, Soo Hyun said, "Anyway, Mr. Lee here will die tonight. Think of it as the price for breaking our promise. Well, then, see you soon."

Hanging up, Soo Hyun signaled to Ho Sung with his chin and said in a casual tone, "Go on. It's fine. Answer the phone. You gotta leave a will." At which point, Ho Sung took his phone out and checked the caller's name.

'My master.'

Seeing that, Ho Sung's heart skipped a beat. It was Min Sung Kang. With a shaky hand, Ho Sung answered the phone.

"Hello…?"

"Where are you?" the champion asked.

"At the bridge over the river."

"Meet me at my house. We're going out to eat. I've been trying out different places, but I haven't had the luck to find a good restaurant."

"Sir, I-I don't think I can tonight."

"Why not?"

"I'm… about to die soon."

"What does that mean? Why are you about to die?"

"Someone's trying to kill me."

"Is this a jo…"

"No, it's not. I really am going to die this time," Ho Sung said, sniffling, and adding, "I'm afraid you'll have to eat on your own from now on…"

"Let me talk to this person," the champion said, interrupting Ho Sung mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry…?"

"Let me talk to the person who wants to kill you."

Hearing that, Ho Sung, wiping his nose, looked toward Soo Hyun and said, "… He wants to talk to you."

Dumbfounded, Soo Hyun chuckled, took the phone from Ho Sung and answered the phone, "Yes?"

"I was told that you wanted to kill Ho Sung Lee."

"That is correct. Your point?"

"Let me talk to him."

Scoffing, Soo Hyun handed the phone over to Ho Sung once again. Looking at him nervously and cautiously, Ho Sung took the phone from Soo Hyun with shaky hands.

"H-hello?"

"Three minutes. Stall them."

'Beep! Beep! Beep!'

After the call ended abruptly, Ho Sung swallowed nervously and stared into his phone.

"Who was that? He sounds kinda rude," Soo Hyun asked, pointing the enchanted sword at Ho Sung's neck. Breathing heavily, Ho Sung thought for a brief moment and came up with an answer.

"L-let's just say that a new miscellaneous type is in town."

Hearing that, the casual smile faded from Soo Hyun's face. Caught off guard by Ho Sung's response, he froze in place and asked, glaring fiercely at Ho Sung, "… What did you just say?"

"A new miscellaneous type."

At Ho Sung's answer, the four representatives responded with great interest all of a sudden.

"Did you say there is a new miscellaneous type, Mr. Lee?" Soo Hyun asked, and Ho Sung, sweating profusely, nodded affirmatively.

"If you're lying, we will skin you alive. Now, let me ask you again. About the new miscellaneous type, is this reliable information?"

Looking at the four representatives cautiously, Ho Sung nodded once again.

"And what makes you think that this person is a miscellaneous type?"

"B-because I was there when he soloed through the labyrinth."

"Why, this is incredible news! Please, do tell more. Everything you know," Soo Hyun said, curling his lips into a smirk, his eyes sparkling with interest. Checking the time on his phone, Ho Sung looked up at him and said, "Oh… It's time."

Confused by Ho Sung's response, Soo Hyun gave him a puzzled look. At that moment, the concrete paving started to crack, and a thunderous roar could be heard from the distance. When the four representatives looked toward the source of the sound, they saw the champion, slowly rising to his feet after landing on the ground.

—

Looking around, Min Sung dusted himself off of the debris of concrete and dirt and called to Ho Sung, "Ho Sung Lee," who was shaking helplessly. As Min Sung glared at Ho Sung with a furrowed brow, Soo Hyun walked toward the champion with a big grin on his face.

"Are you the new miscellaneous type?" Soo Hyun asked, calling the champion's number by using Ho Sung's phone. Ignoring his phone going off in his pocket, Min Sung stared intently into Soo Hyun's blue eyes.

"Move, before you get hurt."

Hearing that, Soo Hyun scoffed and said, "Seems like you don't know who you're dealing with. You see, my colleagues and I are from the Institu…"

Before Soo Hyun could finish his sentence, Min Sung punched him, launching Soo Hyun up in the air. Then, as he came back down, Min Sung kicked him, sending him flying toward the black sedan, which spun several times, damaged beyond repair. Soo Hyun squirmed on the ground, breathing laboriously.

Chapter 48

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Furrowing his brow, Min Sung looked at the eastern and western representatives, who were at a loss for words due to the unbelievable sight that had just unfolded before their eyes. Meanwhile, Soo Hyun, still staggering, got back up. Cracking his neck, he spat out blood and said, scoffing, "Wow… that kinda hurt." Then, the remaining three representatives took their weapons, which, needless to say, were all legendary, out of their inventories.

Seeing that, Min Sung let out a small sigh and closed his eyes. Then, he opened them slowly and said, "Do your worst." There was a mysterious yet enormous energy in his voice, as if a dragon were speaking through him. Intimidated by the champion's voice, the four representatives, who were some of the most powerful fighters in the country, couldn't help but have second thoughts about attacking him. However, realizing that they were superior in number, they signaled to each other with their eyes and charged toward the champion. At which point, what appeared to be a storm of energy erupted.

Unfazed, Min Sung kicked the ground. He was as light as a feather. Traversing through the raining streaks of energy at the speed of light, Min Sung appeared in front of the eastern representative and grabbed him by the neck.

'Crack!'

"Ugh!"

As the eastern representative let out a painful groan, the champion's palm delivered a deadly blow to the representative's side. With the explosive sound, came a series of crackling noises from the representative's contorted body, which smashed through the safety rail and fell into the water when Min Sung finally let go of it. Then, punching his way through the raining streaks of energy, the champion moved on to the western representative and punched him at the center of his chest, sending the representative flying across the road with a bang. The representative's body shattered the asphalt as it rolled through it.

Witnessing two of their colleagues fall at the hands of the champion, Soo Hyun and the southern representative came at Min Sung with everything they had. Dodging the wave of projectiles coming out of the representatives' weapons, Min Sung scoffed and pulled his Orichalcon Dagger out of his inventory, swinging it diagonally. With an earth-shattering, thunderous crackle, the seemingly endless wave of projectiles vanished into thin air, and the champion's crackling blade landed on the two representatives' protective shield, cracking and eventually shattering them. Then, the champion swung his dagger two more times, cutting the southern representative's leg off, as well as Soo Hyun's right arm.

"Ugh!"

"Eugh!"

On the ground, the two groaned and whimpered in excruciating pain.

"What kind of monster is this?!"

"No. This can't be happening. We're so close to the finish line…"

The two said in turn, clenching their jaws tightly while staring at their mutilated limbs with disdain. At that moment, Min Sung shouted, "Ho Sung Lee!" and Ho Sung, who had been watching the battle in a daze, rushed toward the champion.

"Yes, sir!"

Looking around to confirm that his targets were thoroughly incapacitated, Min Sung said, "Time to eat. Lead the way."

"Yes, sir. Of course," Ho Sung said nervously, leading the way. Following him, Min Sung wiped the blood on his hands and forearms annoyedly.

—

'Is this guy even human? Maybe he's a demon. Or even a god,' Ho Sung thought, his heart racing with fear. The Institute was a military organization capable of defending and representing the entire country, and miscellaneous types were its leaders. Yet, the champion had managed to ravage each of the four representatives with a single blow to each all by himself, which begged the question: Was he still human?

Astonished, Ho Sung felt as though he was still dreaming. In fact, the champion's abilities would've been hard to believe even in a dream.

'Is there even a limit to your powers?' Ho Sung wondered. Then, startled by the champion's voice calling to him, he looked toward the backseat of his car.

"Ho Sung Lee."

"Yes, sir?"

"I wasn't very satisfied with my dinner today."

"Ah, not a problem. I know just the place.

How does cold udon sound?"

"Cold udon?"

"Yes, sir. It's summer, so you can't go wrong with cold noodles."

"Sure, but at this hour?"

"Yes, sir. There's a place that I go to regularly, and they sell cold udon there."

"Sounds good."

"We'll be there any minute now. It's not that far from here."

Emptying his mind of the thoughts crowding it, Ho Sung focused on driving. Besides, the more he thought about the champion, the more it became clear that the man was beyond what a human mind could comprehend.

—

With a loud screeching noise, the car stopped in front of a small, rundown street bar.

"It's not much to look at, but they're one of the few places that sell cold udon," Ho Sung said. Nodding, Min Sung got out of the car. Breathing in the summer night air, the champion went inside and took a seat. At which point, the owner brought out a bottle of water for the table and some paper cups.

"One cold udon," Min Sung said.

"Anything to drink?" the owner asked, and the champion shook his head. Following that, the owner brought out a bowl of cold udon and some pickled radish shortly after.

'That was fast. Maybe it has something to do with it being cold,' Min Sung thought, expecting cold broth over pre-cooked noodles. Complete with a poached egg, the noodle soup was garnished with thin strips of seaweed and chopped green onions, and was served with some pickled shishito peppers, which was rather unusual.

'I wonder if it's any good?' Min Sung asked himself while splitting the wooden chopsticks. Then, picking up the fat, glistening udon noodles, he slurped away. After the cold, tender noodles filled his mouth, he immediately followed up with some pickled shishito pepper, which had some heat to it. Although the heat caught him by surprise, it was rather pleasant. He couldn't have guessed that the pickled peppers would go that well with a bowl of cold noodle soup.

'Not bad at all!' Min Sung thought with a subtle smile on his face. Despite the dish's simplicity, which almost made it seem like it had been made haphazardly, there was something magical about it, and mixing the poached egg with the noodles heightened the flavors even more. Impressed by the fascinating flavors of the noodle soup, Min Sung picked up the bowl and drank the broth.

"Slurp! Gluck! "Whew!"

'So, this is what cold udon is like!'

Although the dish wasn't native to Korea, the way it had been prepared made it taste undoubtedly Korean and made Min Sung forget about the fact that it had been made at a street bar. Though humble in appearance and price, the dish remained uncompromised in its fundamentals, which was a common theme among the restaurants recommended by Ho Sung. The more the restaurant upheld the fundamentals of their dishes, the more that contributed to the flavors.

Picking up a large amount of noodles with his chopsticks, Min Sung slurped away, enjoying the rich feel in his mouth. Then, he immediately followed that up with the cold, refreshing, perfectly seasoned, and subtly sweet broth.

After eating all the noodles, Min Sung picked up the bowl and drank what was left of the broth in a single breath.

"Whew!"

Putting the bowl down audibly, Min Sung let out a satisfied sigh and said, "Check, please!"

Hearing that, the owner walked up to the champion, wiping her hands on her apron.

"That'll be four thousand won for ya. How was it?"

As a response, Min Sung nodded and handed her a ten-thousand-won bill.

—

With the news that the representatives of the four regional branches had been critically injured, the country fell into chaos. Since they were considered to be the guardians of their respective regions, the citizenry was seized by apprehension with the news that the four miscellaneous types were being treated at a VIP hospital. Meanwhile, the Central Institute did everything it could to silence the media, only to be outwitted by the Shadow Guild every time, who spread information to the public blatantly, yet made no mention of the suspect.

"What did you just say?" Ji Yoo asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Both the eastern and the western representatives were found dead," somebody from the Shadow Guild said. Ji Yoo's face twisted into a scowl.

"Did they die during their procedures?"

"It appears that they were assassinated."

At a loss for words, Ji Yoo shut her eyes, took a deep breath and organized her thoughts.

"And the suspect?" she asked.

"We're still looking."

After the shocking news at an already-chaotic time, Ji Yoo found herself getting hopelessly lost.

"We'll keep you updated."

With that, the call ended abruptly, and Ji Yoo swallowed nervously. Although there were more questions than answers at that point, one thing was for certain: the third-party individual. If there had been a division within the regional branches, it wouldn't make sense for the Shadow Guild to be involved in such an active manner.

'Something's not adding up,' Ji Yoo thought, biting down on her lower lip nervously. "What the hell's going on?"

—

At the rooftop of a skyscraper, there were two men at a standoff. As the man in the black robe walked toward him slowly, the southern representative, covered in blood, backed away while groaning in pain. However, it wasn't long before he ran out of room to do so.

"Why, I would've never known. I didn't know we had spectators," the southern representative said. However, the man in the black robe clenched his Podao Sword tightly with dry, emotionless eyes. The long and broad steel blade shone brightly under the moon. Bleeding profusely, the southern representative smiled. By the time he had realized the real intentions behind Soo Hyun Kim's plan to take over the Central Institute, it was too late. He couldn't have known in his dreams that there was yet another power behind the northern representative, one hiding in plain sight. The sense of betrayal made the southern representative sick to his stomach.

"I have to ask you something before I die. Who was that man on the bridge, and who the hell are you people? How long have you been working with Soo Hyun Kim? Why did you use us of all people to take over the Central Institute…"

At that moment, the man in black in the robe swung his sword and tore the southern representative open. With blood gushing out of his body, the southern representative stared into the air with lifeless eyes and fell down from the rooftop. Soon, with a loud thump, his body landed on a car, and the man in the black robe looked down at it from the rooftop with cold, cruel eyes.

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