NOVEL NEXT Chapter 145
Chapter 145: A Tempest of Fury
Crash!
First, the teacup filled with black tea went flying and shattered into pieces.
Next, the papers atop the desk were sent scattering chaotically.
Then, the nameplate took flight, followed by the ashtray.
Even after all that, Kim Seong-jin’s rage didn’t subside; his face was flushed with fury.
Seong-jin was the leader of the Sun Guild.
Unlike leaders of other major guilds, his origin was quite different.
He belonged to a royal family of the IK Group, one of the country’s leading conglomerates.
He had lived a life akin to that of a prince since childhood, being the third generation of a wealthy family.
To top it off, he had awakened as an A-Class Awakened Being early on.
Sensing the lucrative smell of money in the Hunter industry, the IK Group supported Seong-jin in establishing the guild.
Thanks to the substantial backing from IK Group, the guild swiftly ascended to the top of the industry.
To outsiders, it seemed like he was living a life where he had everything.
Having lived such a smooth-sailing life, he could hardly tolerate even a minor annoyance.
And this time, it wasn’t just a minor annoyance.
A grave incident had occurred, tarnishing the guild’s name completely.
“Secretary Kim, do you even have a brain? You should have reported this immediately when it happened!”
Seong-jin shouted at a man in his forties, dressed in a suit, who was standing with his head bowed before him.
“I apologize. You instructed me not to contact you while you were overseas on vacation…”
“You should contact me about things like this! Do you even think at all?”
Seong-jin kicked Secretary Kim’s shin.
A savage thump echoed through the room.
Though he controlled his strength, it must have hurt like hell.
Yet, Secretary Kim bit his lip, suppressing his pain.
“Ah, damn it.”
Seong-jin grimaced as he cursed.
No matter how much of a third-generation chaebol and guild leader Seong-jin was, he couldn’t vent his frustrations on the precious high-ranked hunters.
So instead, he was taking it out on Secretary Kim.
“These damn fools, making piles of money while screwing up like this?”
“….”
“Is it acceptable to let the Yangji Guild rob us of our boss? Does that even make sense?”
“… They say it was just extremely bad luck.”
Thud!
This time, a punch landed in Secretary Kim’s gut.
He bit down on his lips so hard that blood oozed out to stifle his groans.
His body trembled from the pain.
“Are you an idiot? Pay attention to the atmosphere!”
“… I’m sorry.”
Seong-jin’s irritation had reached its peak, and he was about to hit Secretary Kim again when he finally stopped.
“Investigate immediately.”
“Yes?”
“I mean the Yangji Guild. Spare no expenses; investigate them down to their distant relatives.”
Seong-jin didn’t take defeat lightly.
This incident had not only humiliated him but also disgraced the industry itself.
There was no way he could release his anger without making them pay back for this.
If it were a subcontractor, he might’ve severed ties immediately.
However, the opponent was also a guild with a significant number of high-ranked hunters.
He needed a different approach.
Thus, he ordered a discreet investigation.
If he could find some weakness, he could use it to shake them up.
“Understood.”
Secretary Kim nodded his head, still bowed.
◈ ◈ ◈
Three weeks had passed since the assault on the Abnormal Gate.
Lee Si-hyun didn’t feel that much had changed.
To be fair, his primary role involved correctional officer duties, and raids were merely a side affair.
He also hadn’t heard from Su-jin since.
Perhaps she had given up out of frustration, but it was hard to tell.
However, it seemed that the guild members certainly sensed the changes.
They claimed their status in the industry had shifted significantly.
The prestige of the upper echelons of major guilds had been successfully blemished, thanks to their actions.
Honestly, neither Si-hyun nor the members of Yangji Guild had done much in that regard.
They had merely reaped the benefits without lifting a finger.
Of course, it had been the efforts of high-ranked hunters like Cheol-hyung and Mujik that had elevated the guild to this position, enabling them to achieve such a joint assault.
“What’s with you walking home today?”
As Si-hyun strolled toward the external gate, the senior officer on duty asked.
Since Si-hyun usually commuted by car, this caught his attention.
“Just had something to do.”
As he answered, Si-hyun’s gaze drifted toward the parking lot designated for visitors outside the gate.
Typically empty at this hour since no visitors came, this time, however, he noticed a car parked, its lights glowing in the darkness.
The officer followed his line of sight, a knowing expression crossing his face before he smiled and saluted.
“Oh, I see. Have a good evening.”
“Thanks, take care.”
Si-hyun smiled back and saluted as he exited the external gate.
He then headed toward the parking lot.
As he approached the car he’d seen, the driver’s door opened, and Cheol-hyung emerged.
“Thanks for your hard work today, Section Chief.”
“It’s no bother. Just another day on the job. But you, Cheol-hyung, came all the way here for no reason.”
Si-hyun opened the passenger door and climbed in while Cheol-hyung returned to the driver’s seat.
“You really didn’t have to come all this way.”
“It’s only natural for me to visit you occasionally, given that you often come by the guild.”
“You’re just peculiar, you know that? Don’t you dislike coming here?”
Normally, former inmates wouldn’t even want to look at the places where they had served their time.
However, Cheol-hyung casually came close to the Special Detention Center, showing he wasn’t just an ordinary person.
“I always prepare myself mentally the day before I come.”
Cheol-hyung smiled as he spoke.
Hearing that made Si-hyun chuckle softly.
“Let’s go. We should get something to eat first.”
◈ ◈ ◈
Si-hyun and Cheol-hyung had dinner at a grilled fish restaurant before heading to a nearby café.
Since Ganghwa Island was somewhat of a bustling area, there were quite a few customers around.
They settled at a table deep inside the café.
When their ordered drinks arrived, Cheol-hyung began to speak.
“The guild seems quite chaotic these days.”
“I’ve heard some rumors, but is it that intense?”
“Yes, you could say that inquiries about joining the guild are pouring in.”
“Oh, really?”
Si-hyun responded as if he couldn’t believe it.
It seemed that what had happened was a highly effective advertisement.
It hadn’t crossed his mind before, but looking at the reactions from the industry, it appeared they had unintentionally committed a significant act.
“So, about that… Section Chief.”
Cheol-hyung started to tread carefully.
“What is it?”
“I’d like to know if your thoughts have changed regarding that.”
Just hearing those words made it clear what he was referring to.
Until now, Si-hyun had strictly recruited former inmates as guild members.
He was the only Hunter in the guild who wasn’t an ex-convict.
“Um.”
Si-hyun cupped his chin, deep in thought.
Managing was easier the way it currently was.
However, relying solely on former inmates would ultimately impose limitations on the guild’s growth.
There was no denying that.
If the goal was to create a larger guild, changes needed to be made.
Yet, Si-hyun had never aimed to create the largest guild in Korea.
That was the source of his dilemma.
Initially, he had thought it would be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Although they were coerced into joining by Si-hyun, they needed that structure to survive in society as Hunters.
For high-ranked hunters, it was another story, but for low-ranked hunters, it would be tough to find a proper guild with their ex-convict label.
Si-hyun’s guild founding had undoubtedly provided significant help to those who had given up hope of making a living as hunters.
Because of that, he sensed they felt not just fear towards him but also gratitude.
They weren’t the only ones.
As the guild grew larger and their status increased, members visibly began to feel pride and satisfaction in their association.
Living as part of an organization had naturally fostered a sense of unity among them.
It seemed the guild members were secretly hoping for the guild to grow until it stood shoulder to shoulder with the major guilds.
That was why Si-hyun’s thoughts were so conflicted.
This guild wasn’t just Si-hyun’s own; it belonged to everyone.
“Section Chief.”
Cheol-hyung’s voice pulled Si-hyun from his reverie.
Looking up, he met Cheol-hyung’s gaze.
“You can proceed as you wish; no one will complain. However, I believe this is an undeniable opportunity to push ahead.”
Opportunities didn’t come often.
If they bypassed this chance to recruit regular Hunters, the interest would inevitably wane, and this momentum would likely fizzle out.
Cheol-hyung’s prediction seemed spot on.
Ultimately, he needed to make a swift decision.
Si-hyun didn’t want to drag out this decision either.
Taking a sip of his Ice Americano, Si-hyun finally spoke.
“If the organization expands, management will become more challenging, right?”
“That might be true for other guilds, but our guild consists of many like-minded individuals, so we should be fine.”
Cheol-hyung answered without hesitation.
That much was definitely true.
The shared experiences as former inmates created a bond.
Particularly, those who had gone through the Abnormal Gate disaster together felt a brotherhood akin to family.
If they helped out, there wouldn’t be major issues with the guild’s operations.
“Alright. Let’s try bringing in a few suitable individuals on a trial basis.”
Si-hyun ultimately decided that it would be worth a shot.
Major guilds usually had sufficient attacking teams at their disposal.
Not only did the first attacking team possess the ability to tackle A-Class Gates, but the second attacking team was also quite capable.
That constituted a significant gap that medium-sized guilds struggled to cross.
While medium-sized guilds had one decent attacking team capable of tackling A-Class Gates, that was about all they possessed.
To compete with major guilds, they needed the capacity to recruit the necessary high-ranked hunters to form an additional attacking team.
This time, thanks to the lucky aid of the special S-rank hunter Lin Xue, they managed to humiliate their opponents instead.
However, that was merely fortune.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been them facing humiliation.
The gap with the major guilds still remained vast.
Si-hyun had no grand ambitions; he merely wanted to narrow that gap, even if just a bit.
At the same time, he was interested in seeing how well ex-convict hunters would mesh with regular hunters.
In the past, their former selves might not have been able to do so for the sake of regular folks, but they were no longer their former selves.
In any case, if any issues arose, he could always revert to the old ways.
“Understood, Section Chief. I’ll carefully select candidates for recruitment.”
Cheol-hyung responded with a bright expression.
It seemed Si-hyun’s judgment pleased him.
As the guild leader, he must have taken joy in the guild’s continuous growth.
Given his nature, he likely wouldn’t discriminate between former inmates and regular individuals.
“Well, if it’s you, Cheol-hyung, I’m sure it’ll work out. Just one thing.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Leave the first attacking team as is, and you can organize the remaining guild members into another attacking team while managing it as you see fit.”
Si-hyun had actively participated in raids with the first attacking team, enjoying the freedom that came with it.
When fighting alongside them, he didn’t feel the need to hide anything.
There wasn’t much reason to change that comfortable position.
Since there were plenty of other guild members, they could easily form a different attacking team with them.
“Yes, Section Chief. I’ll make sure everything is arranged so that it doesn’t inconvenience you at all. I might even use a different floor for this.”
Quick-witted Cheol-hyung replied promptly.
Similarly, the first attacking teams of other major guilds had their own designated spaces.
It was only natural to offer such special treatment.
Upon hearing Si-hyun’s words, Cheol-hyung contemplated making effective use of an additional floor to create a dedicated space for the first attacking team.
“Just as I thought, Cheol-hyung, you really are quick on the uptake.”
“I am a graduate of Princeton, after all.”
Cheol-hyung grinned, tossing out a playful line.
“Alright, sounds good. I’ll leave it to you.”
Si-hyun smiled back.