Ch. 25 - Chapter 25

Maybe this is how it feels to fall into a different dimension and be unable to find the return stone.

After the award ceremony ended, I found myself in a precarious situation.

Interest, greed, envy, and so on.

Because there were more than dozens of people standing before me with intense gazes.

Would I be able to go home today?

"I'm Jegal Chun, a reporter from Daily Korea! If you don't mind, could I have a quick interview…..!!"

"You there! I've been waiting here from the start, have some professional courtesy!"

"Mr. Chun Haesun! You've been ranked as an 'S' ranker for the first time in 10 years, how do you feel about it?"

“Get out of the way! Hunter Chun Haesun has promised to meet me earlier.”

I have never said that, you idiot.

Not only did he jump in front of me but even brought up promises that were never made, it seemed like he was really desperate.

I really wanted to hurry home and share this good news with my sister, but looking at this situation, it seemed difficult to even leave the headquarters, let alone going home.

"To be fair, I will now address everyone here."

"Ooh!!”

Fair and simple.

“I’m very happy, and I won’t be doing any interviews for the time being.”

“Huh???”

I politely pushed the reporters in front of me away, one by one.

If I were an ordinary healer, it would've been hard to push through the crowd, but my body was already at the level of a 'D'-rank hunter.

To others, it might have looked like I was just lightly waving my hand, but as ordinary reporters (?), they could not stop my movements.

“Mr. Chun Haesun.”

Hmm.

After the reporters, this time a bald guy came.

An almost middle-aged, bald man dressed in something like a martial arts uniform called out to me.

“I am Ga Yulchan, Guild master of the Bishop Guild.”

‘Oh ho.’

The Bishop Guild.

It was not on the same level as the Glory Guild, but it was still a prestigious guild known by everyone in the provinces.

The second ranked guild in South Korea, overseeing the Busan region.

"Hello."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Have you ever heard of our Bishop Guild?"

"Yes. Of course."

Ga Yulchan’s lips stretched wide from side to side.

Looks like he was the type who couldn't hide his expression.

"That's a very pleasant thing to hear. Our Bishop Guild is desperately seeking a talented individual like you, Mr. Chun Haesun. If you have time…..."

“Ah, actually.”

“??”

“I have no intention of joining the Bishop Guild right now.”

The lips that had stretched from ear to ear dropped open with a plop.

I almost laughed.

He was the kind of guy who reacted so vividly that it actually makes talking to him kind of fun.

“Why have you made such a decision so soon... May I ask the reason?”

"Too far."

Perhaps ‘too far’ was really that shocking.

Ga Yulchan’s jaw, which had dropped to the basement, instantly plummeted all the way down to the third floor.

He was giving me that look ‘What kind of guy is this?’

But for me, distance was a critical issue.

The Bishop Guild’s jurisdiction covered Busan and the greater Gyeongsang Province area.

It would inevitably mean living apart from my sister, but there was no reason to go to such lengths to join the Bishop Guild.

Unless they somehow secured a jurisdiction near Seoul, that’s a different story.

“I see… if it's because of distance…. so you’re only considering guilds in the capital area. Then, by any chance… the Glory Guild..…?”

“No. I’m not joining the Glory Guild either.”

Glory Guild, the top hunter organization in South Korea.

Most of the hunters who passed today were probably hoping to sign with them.

But even if the sky split in two, there’s no way I’d ever sign with the Glory Guild.

“If it’s not the Glory Guild… and not our Bishop Guild either, then..…”

Perhaps because he had been overthinking things.

A hot energy began gathering at the crown of Ga Yulchan’s head.

Ah, that’s right, they said this guy was an Esper.

If this continued, I felt like my face might get cooked from the heat he was giving off.

“I’m not planning to join any guild right now. I haven’t got a specific place in mind either. I’m planning to take my time and find a place that works best for me.”

"Oh, I see."

At least he's not going anywhere else, so maybe there’s hope.

A glimmer of such optimism sparked in Ga Yulchan’s eyes.

And soon, that look in his eyes was chilled cold by someone’s voice.

“... Chairman Gu.”

“Guildmaster Ga. So you’re here.”

A voice with its characteristic resonance came from behind.

Gu Gyeon, the head of the Glory Guild.

He was slowly walking over, brushing his spiky hair.

“I called last time just to check in, but I guess you were busy.”

“I was indeed busy. You see, a guild in Seoul poached a hunter right before their contract was finalized with us, so we had to fill the spot quickly.”

Judging by Ga Yulchan's attitude, it wasn’t hard to guess which Seoul guild he was talking about.

It seemed the rumors were true that the Glory Guild were sweeping up hunters who signed preliminary contracts by paying penalty fees.

Seeing how they weren't even afraid to clash with the second-ranked guild in the country, it seemed they were completely blinded by ambition.

“Hahahaha. There must have been a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“We simply made an offer through official channels. A preliminary contract is just that, preliminary.”

Oh dear.

The crown of Ga Yulchan’s head, which had just barely cooled down, began radiating heat once again.

I quietly inched back behind him, trying not to be obvious about it.

Hey, Ga Yulchan.

While you're all fired up, why not just blast that bastard with a red laser or something?

Then maybe I’ll reconsider your proposal.

“They say early success is one of the three great calamities. If you keep acting so high and mighty, you’re going to pay the price.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

However, contrary to my expectations (?), Ga Yulchan didn't lose his composure.

On the contrary, he even showed his thoroughness by handing me his business card before leaving.

A man with a warm heart and a cool head.

So that’s the kind of person he was.

[T/N: Err….. isn't it the opposite?]

Maybe that’s why he was able to become the top in his region.

While I was lost in various thoughts, Gu Gyeon spoke to me.

“I apologize for what happened that day.”

“…Apologize?”

“You had every reason to resent me. It was an unavoidable choice, but the fact is that it's in the past and the victims can't be resurrected by resentment.”

“......”

These remarks seemed to scratch an itch.

Exactly what I wanted to hear at the Hunter Association headquarters that day.

Too bad.

If I had heard words like these the first day we met, I might have tried to understand the Glory Guild.

Not the current situation of trying to recruit an 'S' ranker ‘hunter’.

“Well, it’s good that you know now.”

“Yeah. If you’re okay with it, let’s go to a nearby coffee shop..…”

"I hope you maintain that mindset well in to the future."

I walked away, leaving Gu Gyeon's dumbfounded face behind me.

I couldn't help but think that guy puts too much faith in the Glory Guild’s power.

Trying to mend things with such a lame sweet talk.

“I can make you Maria’s successor.”

A heavy, Aether-filled deep voice blocked my path.

Ah, I forgot again that I needed to protect my ears when talking to that guy.

But that guy could never guess.

If I ever dreamed of becoming someone’s successor, it wouldn’t be Maria.

“I’m not interested.”

With those words, I ended the conversation with Gu Gyeon.

* * *

[Don’t worry too much. He’s got great potential, so he’ll be promoted soon.]

[I’m sorry for the trouble. Please take good care of him.]

In the car back to headquarters, Gu Gyeon exchanged messages with Yoo Inwon.

The guy who looked as bright as if he had conquered the world that morning no longer existed in this world.

Only a father with a defeated expression, whose child was an ‘E’ ranked healer, remained.

“Did it help you feel a bit better?”

“Yes. It’s been a really long time since I saw an Imperial Tiger, it was fascinating. And it’s also been a while since I witnessed such perfect healing.”

‘Every time she opens her mouth, it’s all about Chun Haesun.’

It made him feel uneasy somewhere deep inside, but Gu Gyeon decided to be content.

Maria's voice sounded noticeably brighter than before.

It was hard to believe she was the one who had been trapped in a long cycle of self-harm ever since the Gaebang Neighborhood incident.

At this point, his objective could be considered achieved.

“Still… I’m a bit worried about the Vice President. Nothing is more important than your child, even more than your own work…..”

“We’ve done all we can. There’s no need to worry any further.”

“What have we done?”

Oops.

Gu Gyeon snapped back to his senses, realizing he had answered without thinking.

Maria had a gentle and delicate nature.

Precisely because of that, his true thoughts sometimes slipped out without him even realizing it.

“We assigned you as a judge, after all. That’s the greatest favor we could offer.”

Especially with Maria already growing suspicious, there was no way he could come clean on his own.

Taking Yoo Jiwon to the lab and pumping him with large amounts of Aether, that was something that must never come to light.

‘That’s probably what caused the side effects..…’

Ability and Aether usually go hand in hand.

As Aether accumulates gradually, an Awakened one’s skills grow in tandem with it.

However, Yoo Jiwon was hit with an Aether bomb before even awakening his abilities, and he couldn’t manifest healing powers equivalent to the amount he had received.

‘They even hired a private instructor for one-on-one training... but in the end, it just shows that his capacity is only that much.’

Yoo Jiwon failed.

Chun Haesun didn't pay any attention to the Glory Guild.

However.

Gu Gyeon’s expression didn’t look all that gloomy.

He had expected Yoo Jiwon to fail from the very beginning.

Gu Gyeon had no interest in some ‘win-win’ strategy.

Instead of a mutually helpful relationship, he wanted Vice President Yoo Inwon to be in a position where he had to come to him with requests.

And that plan worked perfectly.

If his son had become an ‘A’ or ‘B’ ranker, the Vice President wouldn’t have any regrets, but as an ‘E’ ranked healer, he was a useless asset to the Glory Guild.

By taking in Yoo Jiwon, someone they didn’t have to, they gained a ‘key’ to demand something from the Association in the future.

Whether it’s expanding their jurisdiction or forcing the news channels to halt monopoly suspicion reports.

There were plenty of things he could demand from the Association.

‘The problem is Chun Haesun..…’

Maria’s successor. That was nothing short of the best offer a healer-type hunter could get.

Besides, the one who made the offer was none other than the leader of the Glory Guild.

In fact, Chun Haesun was more than qualified for it.

An amount of Aether so vast that even a Golden Core couldn’t measure it.

SSS-class healing abilities that instantly healed a dying Imperial Tiger.

And star-like quality that radiated from his handsome appearance.

If they nurtured him well, the Glory Guild’s next decade would be smooth sailing.

‘Judging by everything, he probably won’t go to the Bishop Guild..…’

Not Glory, not Bishop.

Then where exactly was this Chun Haesun headed?

He was still just a rookie.

There was no way he knew that they deliberately let the Gaebang Neighborhood residents die.

That’s something even Maria didn’t know.

So, there was still a chance to sway him.

No matter which guild he ended up with, wherever that may be, they have to forcibly stop him.

‘Chun Haesun. There’s only one guild in this country that suits you.’

Staring out at the Han River beyond the window, Gu Gyeon nodded to himself as if making a solemn vow.

* * *

"You're saying that now!!"

BANG!!

Yoo Inwon glared at the man before him with bloodshot eyes.

The chief supervisor of the first testing site.

It was because of the report he had heard from Pyo Hyukgyu.

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The Golden Core used today is no longer….."

It had become completely unusable.

The once brilliant golden light was marred by dark red cracks, and the internal Aether level had dropped to zero.

The frustrating part was that no one knew why it had happened.

Already boiling with rage inside, Yoo Inwon’s neck stiffened from the report that one of the Association’s valuable assets had become useless.

“How on earth did you handle things!!”

He shouted at the supervisor, but deep down, he knew the truth.

Supervisor Pyo Hyukgyu had done nothing wrong.

An applicant beyond the measurable limits appeared, so he used the Golden Core in accordance with the regulations.

But Yoo Inwon no longer had the rationality left to question or consider anything.

His neatly combed hair was now tousled, and his expression was no less sinister than that of any villain.

No, it was just the facade he maintained for the outside world.

This current state was the true essence of Yoo Inwon.

“It’s about time the President returns... but damn, this mess.”

Yoo Inwon lit a cigarette resting on the desk.

“Phew... what an incredibly unlucky day. It’s at least fortunate that the Glory Guild took Jiwon in…”

As the Vice President smoked, furrowing his brows, Pyo Hyukgyu calmly asked him,

“What should we do about the corrupted Golden Core?”

Then Yoo Inwon snapped again.

“Damn it!! What do you think?! The core’s energy response is zero!!”

“Yes... but technically, it’s still Association property.”

“Don’t ask me about every little thing like that!! Shove it in the trash, drill a hole in it and give it to a damn bowling alley. Whatever, just deal with it!!”

For a brief moment, Pyo Hyukgyu’s eyes, which had been directed at the floor, shifted ever so slightly.

But it was a scene completely unnoticed by Yoo Inwon, who was too worked up and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Pyo Hyukgyu gave the Vice President a respectful bow before delivering his final report.

“Then... I’ll take care of the damaged Golden Core.”

Comments