CHAPTER 19

The Hunting Spider (2)

Chairman Oh Kang-hyuk's proposal was a welcome one for Leon.

An impregnable gate that no one had been able to close for a year and two months.

If he were to conquer such a place, his fame would spread instantly.

Leon was more than willing to accept the offer.

"However, old man, I heard that this gate had been abandoned. Why the sudden interest?"

Even as he thought about the renown he would gain from conquering the impregnable gate, Leon remained rational in assessing the situation.

It was a special gate with no risk of a dungeon break. If they were choosing to challenge it again despite that, there had to be a reason.

"It's a common occurrence. Risking one's life to conquer a gate means that there is something valuable inside."

"Speak in detail."

Chairman Oh Kang-hyuk smirked bitterly as he looked at Leon, who was clearly treating him as a subordinate.

He was the chairman of the Hunter Association and a first-generation S-rank hunter, a living legend who represented South Korea.

But having observed Leon for some time, Oh Kang-hyuk realized that the young man was actually showing him a great deal of respect.

Considering the way Leon treated so-called "commoners" like his assistant Han Hari, or even Director Park of the Dujeong Group, this was quite a favorable attitude in comparison.

'The one in need has no choice but to yield.'

Leon possessed absolute value simply by being able to purify land tainted by mana. If it was for the sake of this country, Oh Kang-hyuk was willing to humble himself as much as needed.

"The dungeon-closing condition, the 'Jewel of Wisdom,' was discovered in the United States. It was the reward from a recently cleared crimson gate."

"It must be of considerable value."

"Yes, it is. The Mage Tower has researched it and confirmed that it contains immense compressed power. The upper ranks of the Association are thrilled."

In other words, they wanted to secure the Jewel of Wisdom, no matter the cost.

"Will there be others joining us?"

"The Golden Lion Guild, one of the top ten guilds, and personnel from the Mage Tower will be coming. I've also heard that the Mage Tower is directly dispatching a mage for this."

"A top-ten guild… Should I consider them akin to a knightly order in this country?"

"They are not affiliated with the state… They are more like mercenaries."

"Hmph. Greedy scoundrels. Protecting the people is the duty and honor of a knight."

Oh Kang-hyuk chose not to correct Leon's worldview. People like him, with rigid authority-based thinking, tended to become enraged at any contradiction.

With such an absolute sense of his own principles, he was the type to dismiss everything else.

If he were incompetent, it wouldn't be an issue, but when someone with exceptional ability held such a mindset, no outsider could change it.

"Fine. But I have two conditions."

"Anything. As long as it doesn't violate our principles… We will support you however we can."

"They're nothing too extreme. First, once we achieve victory in this battle, you must make my name known."

"You have yet to publicly announce your survival, Your Majesty. We planned to do so after you had fully adjusted to life on Earth, but…"

"I have grasped the basics. The state of this Earth and your way of life."

But had he really? Someone with such an archaic mindset would likely struggle to understand the flexible thinking of Earthlings. Would the reverse be any easier?

"And the second condition…?"

Leon's gaze shifted past the chairman, landing on the Association staff. Among them was Han Hari.

"H-here it is!"

Hari hurriedly ran up and handed him a prepared memo.

"What is this?"

"A list of trainees to be fostered in my guild. A bunch of nobodies, but for now, that's just right."

The list contained names, including a D-rank hunter, Gu Daeseong, and several others. Leon had been watching them closely during the ranking tests, and they all had one thing in common.

"Most of them are D-rank… At best, C-rank. They don't seem like the kind of warriors that would impress Your Majesty."

Oh Kang-hyuk mentioned that he could arrange for more promising hunters, but Leon shook his head.

"I'm not looking for future knights. For now, this will do."

"I will see what I can do. But, Your Majesty, the choice ultimately rests with them. We cannot force them to join 'Pantheon.'"

Despite saying that, Oh Kang-hyuk was certain they wouldn't refuse.

They were the very definition of misfits—low-ranking hunters who couldn't even secure spots in mid-tier guilds, let alone the top ten. Would they really reject such an opportunity?

Oh Kang-hyuk thought not.

"If they turn down such fortune, then their luck has simply run dry."

Leon himself didn't care if they refused. In fact, he was confident that his offer was generous—a divine blessing.

"When will it begin?"

"In three days. We will gather in front of Cheongju Sports Complex."

"Very well. Then you shall witness the prowess of the Lionheart King."

Oh Kang-hyuk let out a bitter smile, deciding to ensure a hefty year-end bonus for Hari.

The attempt to conquer the Cheongju Gate had resumed.

The indefinite suspension of the now-red-ranked Cheongju Gate had been a major issue, even in Asia.

A special gate where three different raiding parties had been annihilated.

The enemy? A single Yakht Spinner.

Yet, that lone monster had turned countless hunters into corpses, making Cheongju Gate the bane of the city and a source of constant fear for its residents.

At that moment, the citizens gathered at Cheongju Sports Complex erupted into cheers.

"Golden Lion is here!"

As the crowd cheered, reporters aimed their cameras at the black vans entering the stadium.

While Association staff struggled to control the surging crowd, people began stepping out of the twenty or so black vans.

"Golden Iron! Golden Iron!"

The one receiving their enthusiastic chants was a massive man over two meters tall.

Though his size alone was intimidating, his extravagant gold necklaces and bracelets made him look less like a warrior and more like a successful rapper. Which, in fact, he was—one of the top rappers in Korea.

"I have arrived, my beloved citizens of Cheongju!"

Hwang Geum-cheol, often ranked as the most stylish hunter in the industry, stuck out his tongue and basked in the cheers.

"Could you not do that? It's embarrassing."

"Fan service, fan service~ Gotta sell my albums and merch."

His younger sister scowled at him, irritated by his antics as he stopped to take photos and sign autographs.

"If you're gonna act like this, just become a celebrity. Plenty of fools actually listen to your terrible rapping. Just hand over the guild and start an entertainment agency."

"My dear sister, hunting makes more money."

"Screw your 'dear sister' nonsense."

At that moment, fans swarmed around his younger sister as well, despite her lack of entertainment activities.

"Kyaaah! Hwang Yeon-ha is here too! Unnie, over here!"

"You hear that? My dear sister, Geumsun?"

"I told you not to call me Geumsun, you fat pig."

Ignoring his sister's irritation, Hwang Yeon-ha headed toward the Cheongju Gate, prepared by the Association.

She wasn't alone.

"Master Mage Gil Tae-sung. This way, please."

"Thank you for the escort."

With a refined posture, a mage from the Tower, Gil Tae-sung, made his entrance.

As one of the most promising talents in Korea's Mage Tower branch, he was a rare combat mage in the hunter world and treated almost like a quasi-S-rank.

And following behind him—dozens of foreign hunters.