F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 112

"Me?"

"Yes. If it's a sect Gangrim-ssi created, I'd like to join."

Starting a sect didn't appeal to Seo Gangrim at all. After all, his enemies were popping up everywhere already. If he became the leader, it would only make others targets too. But the people around him seemed to think differently.

"Master, me too! I also want to join the sect you make."

"I heard other sects were offering high signing bonuses but... I'll join yours for free if you make one!"

Everyone looked at him eagerly, which was quite pressuring.

I couldn't just let them scatter into different sects, but me creating one was also...

"I think it would be better if Shin Sooah-ssi made one."

"Hmm, maybe. But Gangrim-ssi, you're stronger than me, right?"

"My image is too negative for me to do it."

He was known as both powerful and a murderer. Plus, he saw many defamatory posts about him in the community today.

- Seo Gangrim is totally crazy right? Heard he randomly attacked Sura sect for no reason.

- He falsely accused Seong Eui-gyeol and got him jailed right?

- No, I heard he got released. But how come Seong Eui-gyeol's been so quiet lately?

- Rumor is he retired and is taking a break.

- Or is Seong Eui-gyeol being threatened by Seo Gangrim?

All kinds of rumors were mixing together, the gossip snowballing in size and changing form.

Hearing Seo Gangrim's reason, the others hesitated.

"There certainly are a lot of posts bashing Hyung online but..."

"That's just because Master is so strong! It's like celebrity antis!"

"Either way, my image is bad. Shin Sooah-ssi being the leader would be better."

Seo Gangrim was of the opinion that it was better for him to remain independent in many ways.

While they ate breakfast, they discussed founding a sect and future direction. When they finished eating, Seo Gangrim's phone quietly vibrated. It was from Kang Dohyeon.

He must have found out something.

"I'll get going first then."

Seo Gangrim immediately returned to his room and answered the call.

An annoyed voice came through the receiver.

"[You're so slow picking up.]"

"That was as fast as I could. What's going on?"

"[I need to talk to you so come over to my house. You're free this afternoon right?]"

It had to be important enough for him to call Seo Gangrim over to his house. Even if Seo Gangrim did have plans, he'd have to cancel them. Seo Gangrim replied he'd head over immediately, then left the hotel straight away.

As he exited, he could feel people glancing at him, making Seo Gangrim think that gaining fame wasn't so great after all. He'd have to be more careful when going out from now on, he decided.

Seo Gangrim stealthily made his way to Kang Dohyeon's house, avoiding attention along the way.

This was his second time going to Kang Dohyeon's house. Despite the invitation, Seo Gangrim couldn't readily enter. It still felt unfamiliar to him even though it had been his home ten years ago.

As Seo Gangirm hesitated briefly outside, the front gate opened.

"Why're you standing there like an idiot? Come in."

Kang Dohyeon came out and gruffly spoke.

Today he wore casual hanbok instead of a suit.

'Did he take time off?'

"I didn't expect you to call me to your house."

"Then where should we meet?"

"Well, you have a point."

To frankly discuss things, Kang Dohyeon's house was one of the few safe options. Calls and messages had risks of wiretapping. And calling him to the hotel he stayed at had too many eyes. It was safest for Seo Gangrim to come here.

"Sit."

Kang Dohyeon pointed his chin at the sofa.

After he sat, Kang Dohyeon looked him up and down and said, "You crazy bastard. How'd you clear a Great Demon Realm in one day? The Destiny Protection Bureau is in chaos."

"What's the situation there?"

"Everyone's talking about you. Team Leader Gong wants you on his team so badly."

Well, Team Leader Gong Ju had been planning to recruit him to his team.

Kang Dohyeon reproached, "The community is noisy too. How'd you get tangled up with Seong Eui-gyeol?"

"It just happened. It is a nuisance though. People recognize me at the hotel too."

"You're still at the hotel?"

"Yeah. I need to stay with the others."

The hotel was convenient but he really stood out there. Finding a new place wouldn't be bad, but separating from the group was worrying in case they were threatened. He had to be close enough to respond right away if that happened.

"Is the hotel food good?"

"Of course it's good."

"Home cooking is still the best though, right?"

Saying that, Kang Dohyeon went into the kitchen. He casually started setting the table.

"Rice will take a bit longer. I'll bring out some side dishes so eat first."

Saying so, he brought out dish after dish that Seo Gangrim would only see on holidays. Thick galbi-jjim, japchae noodles, baeksuk soup, all kinds of namul vegetables and jeon pancakes...

"You call these side dishes?"

"Yup."

Clearly a lie, but Seo Gangrim didn't want to argue and kept quiet. He knew from before that Kang Dohyeon was a good cook so the taste would be great. But he wasn't in the mood to eat because I just had breakfast, and had more pressing matters.

"I want to hear your investigation first."

Seo Gangrim had the important items in hand, but I was still impatient.

However, Kang Dohyeon spoke calmly unlike him.

"Listen while you eat. You can't fight like that on an empty stomach, can you?"

He might be the only one in the world who'd call Seo Gangrim scrawny.

Seo Gangrim gave up persuading him and slowly started to eat. In their past lives too, Kang Dohyeon never let him leave until he finished eating properly. As Seo Gangrim reluctantly began the meal, Kang Dohyeon nagged continuously.

"You finished the soup already? I'll bring more."

"Eat more meat. You have no color in your face. How will you clear demon realms like that?"

"I picked these vegetables myself from the mountain. Completely different from chemically grown stuff."

To others it looked like Kang Dohyeon was preparing for a village feast. It took a while, but when Seo Gangrim finally finished eating, Kang Dohyeon seemed ready to talk.

Slicing apples and pears, he said, "First, I investigated within the Destiny Protection Bureau."

Kang Dohyeon passed Seo Gangrim some thin documents. As Seo Gangrim glanced through them, Kang Dohyeon continued explaining.

"I got a list of Destiny Protection Bureau employees and checked for the name Baek Young or similar faces, but there were none."

"Is it possible some were omitted?"

"Yes. I couldn't access the team leader, director, and other branch records."

Kang Dohyeon said in dissatisfaction.

"If my position was just a little higher, I could've done it."

With his current standing, investigations would be quite limited. But it was still higher quality information than Seo Gangrim could obtain alone.

"I did find a photo of the director from when the agency was established. Check the next page."

'The director's photo?'

Surprised by the unexpected information, Seo Gangrim hurriedly looked at the next page. But upon seeing the picture, his excitement quickly faded.

"...This person is the director?"

The woman in the photo was elderly. Other than white hair like Baek Young, Seo Gangrim saw no similarities.

He stared at the photo and said, "Is it possible someone else pretended to be the director for this picture?"

"That's very likely. Even a junior employee like me could get that information."

The easily obtained info was less credible instead.

Seo Gangrim wasn't discouraged though, since he didn't expect to uncover much about Baek Young right away. More important now was the other matter.

"What about Seong-eung Church?"

"I properly investigated Seong-eung Church."

Saying so, he lifted another stack of documents, much thicker than the director's. Seo Gangrim scanned through the documents Kang Dohyeon passed, and it was indeed the Seong-eung Church he knew.

"Thanks, Hyung."

"Don't mention it. It was nothing."

Seo Gangrim had confirmed the intel and location on Seong-eung Church.

As he stood up, Kang Dohyeon quickly said, "Wait, I have more to give you."

'More?'

While Seo Gangrim was looking at him curiously, Kang Dohyeon hurried into the kitchen. He soon returned with a plate piled high with rice cakes.

With a stern expression, he said, "At least finish dessert before leaving."

***

A large van was climbing up a winding mountain road. The passengers seemed excited, like they were going on a picnic. The driver looked at the backseat through the rearview mirror and asked, "It's your first time today, right? Your name is Kim Je-neung, right?"

Hearing the question, a man seated in the back jerked up his head. Unlike the others, he seemed rather nervous.

"Ah, yes..."

"Since you're going to Seong-eung Church, you must be an Unawakened too."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Kim Je-neung spoke in a somewhat self-deprecating tone. Hearing his reply, the driver chuckled as if it were nothing strange. He exuded a composure that couldn't be understood.

"How did you find out about this place?"

"I saw a post online and... Um, is it true that Seong-eung Church awakens your Destiny?"

After the Day of Awakening people began living different lives based on whether they had an awakened Destiny, and their fate class. Among them, those most disadvantaged were obvious. The unawakened commoners.

'Damn, the world is unfair.'

Kim Je-neung was one such person. The world had changed but he remained the same. He was certain he had gained a special power too, that he could become a hunter, but...

'I couldn't awaken my Destiny with the money I had.'

He applied for the Destiny Protection Bureau's mass awakening event but didn't make it. There was the option of paying a private company to do it, but that was impossible because he didn't have enough money.

One day, as he wallowed in frustration Kim Je-neung happened upon a certain post.

[Want a new life? Want your Destiny awakened? ]

Seeing the title, he clicked into the post unconsciously, and what followed seduced him sufficiently.

[Come to Seong-eung Church and we'll awaken your Destiny.]

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