Chapter 50: Just Relax and Dont Worry

Chapter 50: Just Relax and Dont Worry

Chapter 50 Just Relax and Don't Worry

"Missing persons?"

Kang Mu-hyuk, who had just returned to the Guild headquarters in North Pocheon, was taken aback by the unexpected report.

In the wake of the Goblin Tribe Raid, the Hunters had been given staggered vacations for rest. As this was a long-awaited break, some of the carefree Hunters, especially the younger ones, were expected to indulge in pleasures and return late.

It wasn't an issue that should have been mentioned with such a serious face by Pyo Beom-hee.

"Who hasn't returned?"

"It's not just anyone. Half of the people who went on vacation haven't come back."Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Only then did Kang Mu-hyuk realize the severity of the situation. Not one or two, but half of them. Something seemed to have gone wrong.

"The number of vacationers this time was twenty-seven, right?"

"Thirteen of them are missing."

"What about the emergency contacts?"

"They're all turned off. Smells fishy, doesn't it? They might have been attacked. After all, the Wolf Ranch is worth that much."

"Even if they're tempted, they won't use such noisy methods at this point when we're in the spotlight."

Kang Mu-hyuk shook his head at Pyo Beom-hee's opinion, but he didn't deny the possibility of an attack.

'It could be a different method other than violence.'

Even before Kang Mu-hyuk joined, Iron Will hadn't been on good terms with the Slayer Guild, thanks to Ju Se-ah. Since reviving the role of Guild Leader, they had been in a prominent position within the industry.

Anyone could harbor resentment.

But the situation changed right after the announcement of the Rider Wolf. Rather than being hostile, the industry's view was that collaboration would benefit the guild.

There was no longer a valid reason to sabotage.

"What should we do? Should I go and check it out?"

As Pyo Beom-hee was about to head toward Seoul, Kang Mu-hyuk stopped her.

"No, Team Leader Pyo, you stay and guard the guild. We have someone else to check."

"Who?"

"Hunter Noh Song-rin. He's perfect for this kind of thing."

...

Hexagram, a famous club in Gangnam.

Noh Song-rin sucked hard on the cigarette between his lips, gazing at the long queue to enter on a bustling Friday night. His superhuman lung capacity burned the cigarette down almost to the filter. The ash broke off and fell to the ground. He spat out the butt.

It landed on the shoe of a guard at the club entrance. Sparks flew over the smoothly polished leather.

The guard furrowed his brow but did not show anger. It was a professional habit.

Not to act rashly before identifying the other party.

People living in the age of Hunters, especially those involved in the darker side of things, needed to be more careful.

While the club guard was no criminal, his job did often put him in conflicts. A wrong move against a Hunter could cripple him, and it was not a far-fetched possibility.

Noh Song-rin headed for the entrance, ignoring the line.

"Sir, please join the queue if you wish to enter."

"Is Taekwoo here? Kim Taekwoo. He's a VIP here, isn't he?"

"I can't disclose the customer's personal information..."

"Who told you to announce it? Just tell me if he came or not."

"That's not within my authority."

"If you don't know, I'll go and check."

As Noh Song-rin stepped inside, a guard blocked his path.

"If you want to enter, stand in line..."

"What did you say?"

The guard's body wobbled for a moment. The man had merely tapped him on the shoulder, but it felt as if a robust man had thrust him away with force.

'He must be a Hunter.'

Before the guard, who had fallen to the ground, could respond, other guards who hadn't grasped the situation yet blocked Noh Song-rin's way.

"Just find Taekwoo. Kim Taekwoo of Iron Will Guild. I heard he's a regular here."

Only after the word 'guild' was mentioned did they all realize that their opponent was a Hunter.

The guards' eyes trailed behind him. A man emerged from a corner. He was the club's entrance manager.

Though his job title seemed contrived, it was a different matter if the man was a Hunter. Though responsible for admissions, he held some real power.

Noh Song-rin scanned him up and down before snorting.

"You must be at least C-rank. A fellow of C-rank dealing with people instead of monsters? And in a bar?"

"..."

"Taekwoo, you're going to Titan? I'll congratulate you."

"Huh? Th-thank you?"

"Yes. It's an A-class Guild, isn't it? Soon it'll be a Tier-ed, and that's not a strange guild. It's something to be congratulated for."

He thought it was wrong to leave the room decently, but suddenly he was congratulated. And that too, by Noh Song-rin!

"I'm not sure if they'll accept a drug addict who enjoys moth powder though?"

He thought he had found an escape, but he plummeted in an instant.

Kim Taekwoo was sweating profusely as he begged.

"Th-that is... Boss Noh. You won't tell Titan, will you? Please......"

"We've eaten from the same guild, so its a little bit disrespectful to tell them. But it's also a shame to just keep my mouth shut. Instead, lets just relax and tell me."

"What, what are you... talking about?"

"The reason for not returning from vacation. Because of Titan? Tell me more."

...

"Titan, you say? I understand. Thank you for your hard work."

"Whats with the Titan all of a sudden?"

Kang Mu-hyuk hurriedly ended the call with Noh Song-rin, and Ju Se-ah urged.

"The recent non-returnees have received transfer offers from Titan."

"All of them?"

"At least, the Hunters who have not returned, apparently."

"Wow, unbelievable. Even if it's Titan, taking the Hunters without an official request to the affiliated guild? And those who willingly accepted that. Not only abandoning the guild without notice but also willing to pay the penalty? These guys have no basis at all?!"

Ju Se-ah gritted her teeth nervously. Crack, a sound like teeth breaking, resonated through the office.

She was not angry about the Hunters' transfers themselves. In this industry, taking Hunters away was common.

That was why most guilds set high penalties to keep their main Hunters. Or they astronomically raise the funds of the transfer clause.

However, even in an industry where betrayal was commonplace, there were rules to be followed. When a transfer offer came in, the minimum courtesy to the affiliated guild had to be maintained.

The higher the guild's standing, the more often honor had to be prioritized over money. In a world where you were dismissed if ignored, being taken lightly meant the end.

The Titan guild and the non-returnees had touched this taboo.

"Iron Will's position is far below Titan's. A guild with no dignity to cherish or loyalty to keep. We are making gradual progress in guild reform, but that's still our level."

"So you're saying we should just let this go?"

As Ju Se-ah squinted her eyes in displeasure, Kang Mu-hyuk quickly added.

"Guild Master. You must not do as you did in the Slayer guild if you go to Titan."

"What would I do?"

"Make a mess."

"You think I just cause trouble all the time? I'll stay quiet if Im not provoked."

"Who would provoke the Guild Master... huh?"

Kang Mu-hyuk nodded, recalling the gap between Titan and Slayer.

Certainly, within Slayer, there were Hunters or Parties that could provoke Ju Se-ah, but Titan had none.

Of course, if the top-ranked Hunters in Titan were to join forces, they could probably contend, but it was unlikely to end well. If a quarrel broke out, whether they won or lost, the situation would be burdensome.

From Ju Se-ah's perspective, she might have wished for someone to provoke her first, but the best strategy was to avoid even encountering them face to face.

"Are you hesitating because it's your former guild?" she asked.

"It's not so much hesitation as a word of caution, given that I can't figure out their secret motives. You might inadvertently get entangled and find yourself in a difficult position."

"Secret motives?"

Kang Mu-hyuk rubbed his chin, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He had a knack for calming those around him. As he paused, Ju Se-ah sensed something unusual and waited patiently.

"By Titan's standards, the Hunters on this vacation are of lower overall skill. But why would they want to recruit them?"

"That's... why indeed? It certainly doesn't make sense. Ah, discussing this makes me feel rather self-conscious."

"And why are they antagonizing us at this particular time?"

Kang Mu-hyuk was referring to the time when the issue with the Rider Wolves had arisen.

At a time when most guilds, especially Tier-ed guilds and A-rank guilds aspiring for higher status, wanted to acquire even one wolf, it was irrational to antagonize Iron Will.

Although Kang Mu-hyuk had changed affiliations, he harbored no ill feelings towards Titan. In fact, as a former guild, it had given him a head start, signifying that a good cooperative relationship could be built.

"We need to find out the reason first. Only then can we understand their moves and respond accordingly."

"Do you have a way to gather information? Do you have any close contacts within Titan?"

"The information that can be obtained from internal sources is obvious, except for the top executives. No matter how close I might have been to them, the guild will always come first. They won't talk easily, and the background of such a large-scale transfer movement will be hard to find out."

"Then how do you plan to approach this?"

"There's a place I use for situations like this. In fact, I've recently tasked them with something, so it seems like a good time to meet."