Chapter 21

[Translator - Hestia][Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 21

The headquarters of the Sun and Moon Divine Guild was a 40-story building in the heart of Seoul.

In the lobby, statues of the sun and moon, made of gold and silver leaf, stood tall. High-ranking Hunters, their heads adorned with colorful halos, gathered in groups and walked through the hallways.

Wolha waved to his brother from the first-floor coffee shop.

"Be careful what you say. The atmosphere isn't great, so don't cause any trouble. Okay?"

"Okay."

Worry choked his throat, making it hard to speak.

Wolha also knew about the recent atmosphere in the Hunter industry through communities like 'Chatter of the Stars'.

Since Baekya's death, the Hunter industry has been in a state of high tension.

Rankers had stopped climbing towers and clearing gates, holing up in their own buildings.

Naturally, this created a huge gap in the defense against monsters.

The government issued work resumption orders, and the media constantly criticized the Rankers' immorality, but the Rankers remained unmoved.

'A fine? I'll just pay it.'

'Forced execution? Try it.'

'You won't tell us why Baekya died, but you want us to go out there?'

'You didn't kill him, did you? You said he got too strong.'

Even the Divine Guild Hunters in the lobby were fully armed.

The hidden armor artifacts beneath their robes clicked softly, and several long swords hung at their waists.

Even though they had been invited, they were checked several times at the entrance.

Wolha made eye contact with Ilha, who had risen from his seat.

"Even if they act arrogantly, just let it go. You know, hyung. This is the Sun and Moon Divine Guild."

Wolha clearly remembered the time when Ilha had beaten up a Hunter from 'Woori Mining' who had mentioned that his older brother worked at the Sun and Moon Divine Guild.

Hunters who risk their lives have sky-high pride.

'He didn't stop even after my brother mentioned me? I'll teach him a lesson! Does my name seem that insignificant?'

'Argh!'

In Wolha's mind, he could already see a high-ranking Divine Guild Hunter pointing a sword at Ilha.

Ilha grinned and nodded.

"That's my specialty. Leave it to me."

Ilha waved to Wolha and left the coffee shop.

He showed no signs of nervousness, even though he was entering a building swarming with high-ranking Hunters alone.

'I guess you still see me as your older brother.'

Ilha, or rather, Baekya, was the top expert in the Hunter industry.

And in Baekya's estimation, there was a 90% chance that this matter would be resolved within 30 minutes.

'Don't worry. Whether it's a reward or compensation issue, it's nothing to a large guild like this.'

This wasn't some insignificant local guild.

This was the Sun and Moon Divine Guild, the largest of the four guilds forming the Martial World Alliance. It was also one of the five major guilds in the Republic of Korea, the most advanced nation in the Aitel era.

[TL/N: Martial World Alliance is subjected to change in the future.]

The whole thing might even be settled by the PR team, not even by the Hunters on site.

Yesterday's phone call was enough to show how they viewed this matter.

'Hello. This is the Sun and Moon Divine Guild’s PR team. We're calling regarding your great contribution at the Dungeon on Highway 100....'

They didn't even care about the incident with a guild member's younger brother.

To large guilds like this, mining companies were just consumables.

They were free to side with him once, creating a sense of obligation, or simply switch to a different mining company altogether.

'To justify that, giving me a billion won wouldn't be a big deal.'

Also, even if a fight did break out, he was confident he could handle it.

Yesterday, he consumed both the Gate's core and the demon's spirit core.

【Mana is greatly increasing by 10, 20, 30...】

Although he hasn't reached C+ rank yet, his mana alone was close to B- rather than C+.

Baekya headed towards the elevator, thinking about exaggerating the reward they gave him several times over.

'Once the money laundering is done, I'll be able to take taxis as much as I want without Wolha nagging me.'

And as soon as he entered the office on the 15th floor of the building, he was met with the cold stares of the Divine Guild Hunters.

They weren't ordinary office workers, but Hunters with white halos above their heads and swords at their waists.

"Hong Ilha?"

".....?"

"Aren't you Hong Ilha?"

"Ah! Yes, I am Hong Ilha."

"Speaking informally?"

"You did it first, didn't you?"

"Wow. This kid is something else. Well, someone who caused such a big incident should have this much guts."

"Incident?"

"You dared to touch my younger brother?"

Baekya let out a deep sigh.

His prediction was wrong.

* * *

I was reminded of a common understanding in the Hunter industry.

The more one relies on magic or psychic abilities, the more likely they are to have a contract with a constellation and receive greater benefits from it.

Conversely, those who rely on physical abilities, especially martial arts, are less likely to have a contract and receive less from their constellation.

This isn't a difference in talent, but a choice.

The path of martial arts is ultimately a solitary one.

Relying on a constellation for help leads to dependence.

How can one achieve mastery without relying on oneself?

This is a belief shared by most martial arts Awakened.

In fact, among A-Rank swordsmen or martial artists, there were more with plain white haloes above their heads than those with colorful ones.

The point is, many martial arts Awakened have the willpower to forgo contracts for the sake of achieving mastery in their craft.

In a positive light, it's unwavering determination; in a negative light, it's stubbornness.

They can be righteous or wicked, but they all share a lawful tendency.

And a lawful tendency means they're willing to draw their sword to enforce their will.

The Hunter team leader, wearing a red bandana, opened his wallet and took out a few checks.

"Here. This is for the reward, the bonus, and... compensation for the trouble."

Flutter!

He tossed the checks in my face.

"....."

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't even get angry.

It felt like I had stepped into a sitcom or a drama.

No one in power in this world would dare to treat me like this.

The Tsar of Russia, the Pope of the Vatican, the President of the United States— they were all courteous in my presence.

Yet, a mere team leader, not even the leader of the Martial World Alliance or the head of the Sun and Moon Divine Guild, dared to do this!

The team members, wearing black bandanas, snickered quietly.

"Take it."

"Take it, we said! Why aren't you taking it? Didn't you come here for the money?"

"A lowly porter gets lucky and beats the team leader's brother, and now he's acting all high and mighty, coming in here?"

"You've got guts."

I was reminded of how the Sun and Moon Divine Guild was portrayed in the media.

All that came to mind were their infamous reputations, like being the predecessor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Guild or another name for the Demonic Cult.

That's right.

These guys were fundamentally evil-aligned.

When I was 'Baekya the Sun', they always followed my lead, so I didn't realize it.

But there were a couple of things these guys didn't know about me.

One, that I was Baekya.

And two, that I was an extreme pragmatist.

[TL/N: Pragmatist — someone who is practical and focused on achieving a goal, and who deals with problems in a sensible way that suits the circumstances]

I have a strong sense of pride, but I don't let it ruin things.

For the sake of laundering the money in my inventory, I could endure a lot, if not everything.

I meticulously gathered the checks scattered on the floor and counted them one by one.

1,000, 2,000, 3,000... 7,000?

OK.

Ah, this one's only 100.

How embarrassing for someone who looks at least B-Rank.

If you're going to give, at least give all 1,000s.

I stuffed them all into my wallet and asked.

"Is that all?"

The leader in the red bandana gaped at me in disbelief.

"Hey, don't you have any pride?"

"Did I come here for pride? I came for the money."

"Anyone would think I owed you money."

"In the martial world, debts and grudges are settled through blood ties and the bonds between master and disciple, aren't they? If your brother did something wrong, you should pay the price."

Swish

The leader's hand moved towards his waist.

I knew it.

After all that provocation, there had to be a reaction.

Hunters live and die by their pride.

He probably thinks it's shameful for someone who's at least B-Rank, like him, to be sitting here and taking insults from someone who looks like a C-Rank, like me.

The leader gave a chilling smile.

"Yes, you should pay the price."

His longsword was drawn like a flash of light.

Schwing!

* * *

The stronger an Awakened becomes, the wider the gap within their rank.

The difference between a C+ and a B- was even greater than the difference between an ordinary person and a C+.

It wasn't without reason that they became arrogant.

Moreover, the government reacted sensitively to conflicts between Awakened and ordinary people, but conflicts between Awakened were ignored, like the principle of "non-interference in martial affairs" in martial arts novels.

Therefore, there was no reason for Team Leader Park, a B-Rank Hunter of the Sun and Moon Divine Guild, to keep this insolent Awakened alive, the one who had offended him.

So what if he might be the Hunter who made a scene at some overpass Gate the other day?

Team Leader Park didn't care.

Schwing!

The leader drew his sword like a flash of light and struck at Baekya's neck.

Clank! Schwing!

The long blade sliced down, cutting through his shoulder and thigh in succession.

Schwing!

The four team members also drew their swords simultaneously, slashing and stabbing at Baekya.

The moment the leader drew his sword, they all became accomplices.

That was the culture of the Sun and Moon Divine Guild.

But Baekya still stood there.

From the wounds where he was cut and stabbed, instead of crimson blood, a chilling white light flowed out.

The leader's eyes wavered.

'He's not dying?'

Baekya scoffed at his hesitation.

The eyes are the windows to the soul.

Eyes wavering after drawing a sword meant a wavering heart, a wavering sword.

What could a swordsman with a wavering sword cut?

"Now even people like you dare to point your swords at me."

【Flame Dance】

The skill, which Baekya had been able to use since yesterday, allowed him to transform his insides into flames while maintaining his human form.

It did consume quite a bit of mana, but thanks to devouring two spirit cores, it wasn't too much of a strain.

"It's like I've become the protagonist of a horror story."

【Explosive Regeneration】

A violent explosion erupted from the gaps in his wounds.

Boom!

The four team members, Team Leader Park, and various office equipment were blown away in all directions, with Baekya at the center.

Team Leader Park felt his vision blurring and thought.

'The damage... it's impossible. My defense is over 160%. How much penetration did he have?'

He recalled the PR team mentioning something like this.

'Judging from various circumstances, the porter who quit Woori Mining seems to be a Re-Awakened. Or perhaps the same Awakened who closed the Gate on Highway 100. And...'

'And?'

'The injuries of those caught in the Gate when it closed disappeared. It's 'Nullification'.'

'Nullification...'

'Yes. It's possible that it's a similar ability to 'Law of Light'.'

They said the newly appeared Awakened might have a similar ability to Baekya.

That they might have inherited a fragment of the legendary Hunter.

'I made a grave misjudgment.'

Team Leader Park squeezed his eyes shut.

In the Hunter world, a mistake meant death.

Thump

"Get up. Stop pretending. It didn't hit you that hard."

But instead of finishing him off, Ilha approached and extended a hand.

'Is he... sparing me?'

Team Leader Park lowered his head and took the hand.

Slap!

Ilha slapped Team Leader Park's hand away.

"Give me the money, the money. You had more checks in your wallet!"

"Huh?"

Team Leader Park awkwardly took out his wallet from his pocket and handed it over entirely.

Ilha took out all the checks and cash and tossed the wallet back.

"Here. I didn't touch your Hunter license."

Team Leader Park listlessly took back his wallet.

The deflated wallet looked pitiful.

'It's all gone.'

Swish

Just then, someone gracefully entered the office.

"What's all the commotion?"

The scent of orchids filled the air.

"V-Vice Guildmaster?"

"Greetings, Vice Guildmaster!"

The team members stumbled to their feet and bowed.

It was then that Team Leader Park saw Ilha's expression.

'What's this?'

The guy who had been so confident looked as if he had seen the Grim Reaper.

It wasn't just a figure of speech; he really looked like he was seeing someone who had killed him once before.

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]

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