Chapter 46

Chapter 46 – Territory Dispute (2)

The conflict between the ‘Haeseon Guild’ and the ‘Jeong Jin Guild’ dates back to a week ago.

“Aren’t you from the Jeong Jin Guild? What brings you here...”

“What other reason would an ability user have for coming to a dungeon than to hunt monsters?”

“But this is Haeseon Guild territory.”

“So what?”

“What..? Argh!”

The Jeong Jin Guild suddenly barged into the dungeon occupied by the Haeseon Guild.

They ignored the Haeseon Guild members who tried to stop them and recklessly cleared the dungeon.

Naturally, Jo Seong-chan, the guild master of Haeseon who lost their main source of income, went to confront the Jeong Jin Guild.

“What’s the meaning of this sudden action?!”

“Is clearing a dungeon wrong?”

“I’m asking why you came to Haeseon Guild’s territory when there are other dungeons.”

“That’s my choice. If you’re weak, it’s natural to have things taken from you.”

“What did you say?!”

However, Hong Chae-yeon, the guild master of Jeong Jin, spoke confidently with an attitude of turning the tables.

“If you don’t want to lose the little you have, it’s better to stay quiet from now on.”

“This is different from our agreement!”

“Agreements are only kept when they’re worth keeping.”

Anger boiled up, but Jo Seong-chan couldn’t do anything.

This was because the Jeong Jin Guild had been growing at an incredible pace recently.

The power gap between the two guilds, which was originally similar, had now widened to an incomparable degree.

“Hey, look over there. Those bastards without pride despite being ability users are passing by.”

“Hahaha.”

“Those bastards!”

“Hold it... Guild Master, don’t you know about the orders?”

The two guilds with similar activity areas often encountered each other on the streets, and each time, the Jeong Jin Guild would provoke the Haeseon Guild.

“Boss! Are we just going to stay like this? They’re openly disrespecting us!”

“Then what do you want to do... Start a war? Do you want to see everyone die?”

Even to Vice Guild Master Jo Dong-won’s words, Jo Seong-chan could only tell them to endure.

As this precarious situation on the verge of explosion continued, today’s incident finally occurred.

“I can’t take it anymore!”

“What are you going to do if you can’t take it?”

“Aaargh!”

Finally, Haeseon’s Vice Guild Master Jo Dong-won exploded and pointed his weapon at a Jeong Jin Guild member.

Six members from Haeseon Guild.

Five members from Jeong Jin Guild.

It was clearly a fight where Haeseon Guild had the numerical advantage. However, contrary to expectations, the battle flowed one-sidedly.

“Ugh... Damn it.”

The power of the Jeong Jin Guild far exceeded Haeseon Guild’s expectations.

In less than a few minutes, all Haeseon Guild members were lying on the ground.

“Ptui!”

Woo Jin-hyung, the vice guild master of Jeong Jin Guild.

The one who planned this incident spat on the ground and made a phone call somewhere.

“Did you take care of it?”

“Yes, Guild Master. We provoked them to attack first, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Woo Jin-hyung answered confidently to Guild Master Hong Chae-yeon’s question.

“Well done. Just beat them up enough not to kill them and return.”

“Yes.”

“Especially that vice guild master Jo Dong-won, make sure to beat him thoroughly.”

“Thoroughly, you say?”

“Yes. So that he can’t act as an ability user anymore.”

“Understood.”

After ending the call, Woo Jin-hyung called his guild members.

“Just break one leg each, moderately. I’ll take care of Jo Dong-won personally.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, where’s Lim Su-beom?”

During the battle, Lim Su-beom was caught by Jo Dong-won and thrown away.

Because Jo Dong-won was an ability user specialized in strength, Lim Su-beom flew several dozen meters.

“How stupid to fall for that.”

But since Lim Su-beom’ endurance was the best in the guild, Woo Jin-hyung wasn’t particularly worried.

“Vice Guild Master.”

“What?”

Just then, a guild member suddenly approached Woo Jin-hyung.

“Someone’s approaching over there.”

“What?”

Looking at where the guild member pointed, he saw a group approaching with a slouching posture.

“Who are they now?”

They were dragging a man by the neck, scraping him along the ground.

“Wait a minute...”

The appearance of the man cleaning the ground with his entire body seemed somehow familiar.

“Ugh...”

“Lim Su-beom...?”

It was clearly guild member Lim Su-beom who had flown away earlier.

Lim Su-beom, being dragged like luggage, was covered in bruises all over.

If Woo Jin-hyung hadn’t known his outfit, he wouldn’t have recognized him due to the swelling.

“How are you going to give it? Bank transfer?”

“Well, I don’t have the money right now. Instead, I’ll give you this.”

“What’s this?”

“It’s a one-way ticket to hell!”

With his answer, Woo Jin-hyung swung his sword with all his might.

“Huh...?”

However, the sword was futilely caught in Kang Hyeon’s hand.

‘Catching a sword with bare hands, what kind of nonsense is this...’

Kang Hyeon, gripping the blade, looked at Woo Jin-hyung with a cold gaze.

“What are you doing.”

-Crackle

As Kang Hyeon applied force to his hand, the sword shattered instantly and scattered on the ground.

Woo Jin-hyung’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck.

“T-that...”

He tried to say something urgently, but Kang Hyeon just quietly raised his hand.

‘Ah...’

A huge palm was approaching.

It was less than a second, but in that brief moment as the palm drew closer, Woo Jin-hyung’s life flashed before his eyes like a panorama.

-Slap!

That was Woo Jin-hyung’s last memory.

***

Ippotranslation

***

“Thank you so much for your help.”

Jo Dong-won, the vice guild leader of the Haeseon Guild, bowed 90 degrees in gratitude.

“No need to thank me. I was just minding my own business.”

“No, you’re our guild’s benefactor.”

“I told you, it’s fine. No need for thanks or anything, don’t worry about it.”

Kang Hyeon said indifferently and started walking towards the beef restaurant.

“I’m starving to death. Let’s go quickly.”

“Mr. Kang Hyeon!”

“Yes?”

Jo Dong-won stopped Kang Hyeon as he was about to leave.

“I know it’s shameless, but please. Help us just once!”

Jo Dong-won, who had suddenly knelt on the ground, was bowing his head.

“Please, I beg you!”

Seeing this, other Haeseon Guild members approached and knelt down as well.

“Look, I’m kind of busy. For this kind of help, talk to the Ability Users Union.”

“The Ability Users Union doesn’t interfere in conflicts between guilds! You’re the only one who can help us, Mr. Kang Hyeon.”

“Why should I help?”

“Please. Just give us 30 minutes of your time. If you hear me out, I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”

Kang Hyeon frowned at Jo Dong-won’s words.

“If you haven’t eaten yet, I know a delicious Korean beef place nearby. I’ll take you there.”

“Then let’s go for now.”

***

Ippotranslation

***

A high-end Korean beef restaurant where a single serving costs over 100,000 won. Kang Hyeon was inhaling the meat, intending to relieve all of today’s stress.

“... That’s how it happened.”

Meanwhile, Jo Dong-won had been earnestly explaining the current situation of the guild.

“Chomp, chomp... So this Jeong Jin Guild suddenly got stronger?”

“Yes.”

“And it seems their sudden strength is due to some strange drug they’re taking?”

“That’s right.”

After hearing the general situation, Kang Hyeon fell into contemplation.

‘Something does smell fishy...’

It started with the Jeong Jin Guild leading the formation of an alliance with five nearby guilds.

The alliance, having grown in size, eventually came to occupy a certain area in Seoul.

Among them, the Jeong Jin Guild and Haeseon Guild were the largest guilds, playing central roles within the alliance.

‘But that balance of power was suddenly broken...’

At some point, the Jeong Jin Guild started getting stronger at an incredible rate.

Eventually, the balance of power crumbled, and now the Jeong Jin Guild, showing its true colors, was swallowing up the other guilds one by one.

“How long until our C-rank dungeon conquest?”

“It’s in two days.”

“Hmm...”

Kang Hyeon furrowed his brow at Shin Seong-a’s answer.

“I’ll help.”

“Thank you!”

“But I don’t have time right now. The conquest is right around the corner. Let’s complete the dungeon conquest first and then look into it properly.”

“Yes.”

A C-rank dungeon conquest would surely take at least a week.

However, since they were grateful for any help at all, Jo Dong-won quietly nodded.

“In that spirit...”

“Yes?”

“Let’s order one more bottle of beer.”

“Alright...”

Jo Dong-won calculated the remaining limit on this month’s card with tears in his eyes.