Chapter 29

Park Chan-kyong and Cheon Minju.

The two trainees stood in front of Yoo Baekjun.

"How long has it been since you both joined the family?"

"Both of us have been here for about two years. We passed the Sword Trial back

then and have been learning from Grandmaster Ja Yeon ever since."

The Sword Trial.

A test created to select Hunters wanting to enter the Sword Saint Clan as

trainees.

Long ago, it was devised by the Martial God, and it's been passed down

unchanged to this day.

'In extreme environments, armed with only a single sword, you survive against

surrounding monsters.'

But it's not just about facing monsters.

Other trainees taking the test can become allies—or enemies—depending on the

situation.

An old-fashioned kind of exam.

"Hehe, I barely scraped through."

"I passed without much trouble. Though I was starving the whole time."

Park Chan-kyong scratched his head and answered with a blank expression,

while Cheon Minju giggled.

Their personalities looked clearly different at a glance.

"Um, Young Master?""You two should call me Young Master Baekjun. Don't get confused with how

Master Han Seonga addresses me."

"Ah, yes. Young Master Baekjun. So which gate are we heading to?"

Yoo Baekjun explained the details of Gate 4 to the two of them. Their

expressions stiffened slightly.

"Ah... that sounds difficult."

"Are we going with just the four of us?"

"Technically, four people and one beast."

"One beast?"

Yoo Baekjun waved his hand.

"I'll inform the clan, so get the best equipment provided. Stock up on supplies.

We'll depart tomorrow morning after preparations."

"Understood, Young Master Baekjun."

"W-We'll do our best!"

Park Chan-kyong and Cheon Minju left.

They were likely heading to get their supplies. Yoo Baekjun exhaled through his

nose as he watched them.

'I need to make sure those two are on my side.'

Once their trainee period ends, they'll stand out and quickly rise to A-rank

Hunters.

No reason not to make them allies.– A new quest is now available.

Just as he was pondering what to do next, a message window appeared before

his eyes.

He checked the quest.

[A real-life sparring match.]

Spar against someone who can teach you something. You might realize

something through it.

– Reward: 100P, stat increase

Not a bad quest.

"Why don't we make our preparations and spend the rest of the day training…

Master Han Seonga, how about a sparring session?"

"A match with you, Young Master? That sounds fun."

Han Seonga showed interest.

Might as well earn some points and spend the day sparring with her. Just as he

thought that—

"Young Master!"

Choi Seungmin came running. Yoo Baekjun stopped in his tracks and waited for

him.

"What's going on?"

"That person you asked me to find last time, I found him. But…"

"But?""There's a bit of a problem."

Choi Seungmin scratched his cheek.

"He's being chased by loan sharks."

"Hmm."

He had expected something like that. Actually, it was perfect. If that was the

case, things could proceed just as he intended.

"Let's stop by Busan before heading to the gate."

"Yes, I've already prepared for a quick departure."

But before that, there was one place to visit.

***

Busan—specifically, a hillside village still underdeveloped and often called a

slum.

Due to its terrain, it had poor gate response measures and was notoriously

difficult to live in.

Still, people lived there.

Thump, thump!

Someone was banging on the door of a shabby house. A rough-looking man.

The others behind him looked just as threatening.

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!

"Hey, Mr. Song! We know you're in there!"The man shouted in a coarse voice that matched his fierce appearance.

His shout echoed loudly through the area.

"We know you're in there, so don't waste our energy. Come out and let's talk!

Yeah?!"

"If you don't come out, we're breaking down the door!"

The man behind him looked like he'd kick the door in any second. Then a voice

came from inside.

"T-This is illegal debt collection! Threatening and instilling fear in a person is—!"

"Ah, the law's far, but my fist is close!"

CRASH! The man smashed the door.

The inside of the shabby house was revealed. A scrawny man was trembling.

"Geez, Mr. Song Hyungseok. You took the loan and then disappeared like this?"

"I-It wasn't me who borrowed it!"

"Yeah, your dad borrowed it. But your name was on the documents too!"

As the man roared, Song Hyungseok's body trembled.

"We trusted you were a Hunter and lent the money, and now you just vanish?"

"If you don't have money, then work. Aren't you a Hunter too? What, are those

arms just decorations?"

"I'm a low-level Hunter. I can't even enter a gate! I don't even want to try!"

The men exchanged glances."You finally became a Hunter, so why wouldn't you want to raid gates?"

"Because I don't want to end up like my father…!"

"Bullshit. I don't care about your personal story."

A man with a shaved head, covered in tattoos, stepped forward. He looked like a

gangster.

His name was Lee Beomcheol. The boss of this loan shark gang.

"Mr. Song Hyungseok, you think we dig up money from the ground? The money

your dad borrowed, we borrowed from someone even higher up."

"So, what do you want me to do about that?"

"If you can't pay it back, we're in trouble too. So just pay up quietly and—"

WHAM! Lee Beomcheol kicked Song Hyungseok's shoulder. His thin body

slammed into the wall.

"Keuhak!"

"Otherwise, you're going to get hurt."

"T-This is illegal—!"

"Told you, fists are closer than the law."

A brutal beating followed. Lee Beomcheol and his men pummeled Song

Hyungseok with fists and kicks.

"Ugh, ahh! Agh!"

"Want me to break your arms and legs like your old man? Huh? Just say the

word!"Their plan was to break his spirit and drag him off. He was still a Hunter, after

all—might be useful somewhere.

Sell him overseas, or hand him over to a villain group—they could make some

money.

"What the hell? Why's the door blown off?"

A voice came from behind.

Everyone turned toward the door. A man stood there holding the broken door

with a baffled expression.

A woman followed behind him.

"What's this?"

"Hey! You think you can just barge in here?!"

It was Yoo Baekjun and Han Seonga.

Clicking their tongues at the shouting loan sharks, they walked in.

"Come on, civilized people open and close doors. Don't just smash stuff. What

are you, cavemen?"

"What?"

The men let out hollow laughs. Who the hell was this guy?

"Wow, look at all those knife scars and tattoos. Bet each one of you's got at least

a few bodies on you."

"You look decent, but your skills are trash. I sense three Hunters, all barely worth

mentioning."

"Really? Guess I got nervous for nothing."Yoo Baekjun strolled up to them, grinning. He even seemed impressed by their

faces.

A handsome guy acting like that? It was somehow infuriating. Like he was

mocking them.

"This bastard's crazy…!"

"Who the hell are you, punk?"

The men growled.

Yoo Baekjun ignored them and walked straight up to Lee Beomcheol.

"You the boss here?"

"What? Heh, yeah. Who the hell are you?"

"You don't need to know that yet. You're here over money, right? How much does

this guy owe?"

Lee Beomcheol stared at Yoo Baekjun's face.

"Two billion and seventy million won."

"Two billion? I heard the original loan was five hundred million!"

"He hasn't paid in forever. This kind of interest is only fair, yeah?"

Song Hyungseok's face went blank. If the principal quadrupled, what kind of

interest rate was that? He tried recalling the rate listed in the contract.

'Should've had a better family… No, that's not something I should say.'

Yoo Baekjun sighed as he looked at him."So, what are you going to do with that information? You gonna pay it back for

him?"

"That's the plan, for now."

Yoo Baekjun cracked his neck.

"The principal only."

"What the—Keurgh!"

In a flash, his punch smashed Lee Beomcheol's face. His nose shattered, and he

collapsed, coughing up blood.

"B-Boss!"

"This punk! Get him!"

Some of the loan sharks who were bottom-tier Hunters charged.

But just before they could strike—

"Do not raise a weapon against the Young Master."

"Ku-Keurgh!"

Han Seonga dashed forward like lightning. She swung the back of her sword,

breaking the loan sharks' arms and legs.

Then she drew her blade and held it to them.

"Ack! A-A sword?!"

"This bitch is a Hunter! Be careful!"

"Sh-She's way too strong!"The mood among the loan sharks changed. They had brought their own Hunters

to deal with a Hunter debtor. But those Hunters were defeated in an instant.

"Grrr…"

Lee Beomcheol staggered to his feet. He glanced at Yoo Baekjun, and when

Baekjun looked away for a moment—

"Raaagh!"

He lunged with a knife.

But Yoo Baekjun was faster. He caught the incoming blade and locked Lee

Beomcheol's arm at his side.

Then, one punch with his right hand.

CRACK!

"Kyaaaaaah!"

He shattered Lee Beomcheol's wrist. The scream that followed was bone-chilling.

Yoo Baekjun then kicked his knee.

It was a light strike, but with power no normal man could endure. His knee

crumbled with a crunch.

"Huff… Haaah… Y-You're a Hunter too…?"

"Of course I am. What, you thought I was a civilian? You've got a head—try using

it."

The scene was quickly subdued.

Yoo Baekjun crouched in front of the collapsed Lee Beomcheol.

"Hunter… Hrk… You think we'll just let this go? No matter how strong you are,

we—""Why do you talk so much?"

"Ugh!"

THWACK! Yoo Baekjun smacked the back of his head. His head snapped

forward.

"Pick. We leave after collecting just the principal. Or you leave with

nothing—crying."

"W-What?"

"Hurry up and choose."

Yoo Baekjun locked eyes with Lee Beomcheol.

At first, Lee looked dazed, then let out a laugh.

"You crazy bastard… You think I'm crazy too?"

"Oh, so you're saying no?"

"Yeah! Just 'cause you're a Hunter doesn't mean—urk!"

No point in talking more when the answer's no. Yoo Baekjun slammed a fist into

Lee Beomcheol's jaw.

His brain rattled, and the shock knocked him unconscious.

"Aaah!"

"W-Wait, kghaaah!"

The rest of the loan sharks were dealt with by Han Seonga, who had been

waiting.Song Hyungseok blankly watched everything unfold.

'W-What the hell just happened?'

He had been getting harassed by loan sharks, and suddenly these people

showed up and saved him. He couldn't make sense of it.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh? Y-Yes. But who are you two…? No, that's not right. I really appreciate it,

but now you're in danger too! Those guys aren't ordinary!"

"I know, I know."

Yoo Baekjun gestured behind him. The inspectors who had been waiting outside

entered.

"They've got an office, right? Go wipe it clean. Sort out their ledgers and return

the money."

"Yes, sir."

In the original game, these loan sharks were connected to some seriously shady

organizations. He planned to wipe them out completely.

"W-Who are you, really?"

Song Hyungseok asked, still stunned.

Yoo Baekjun paused to think.

"Someone who'll be your lifeline."

Song Hyungseok just stared at him, dumbfounded.