NOVEL NEXT chapter 47
47 – Big Number
The static-filled conference room on the 30th floor of Gold Star Guild
Hoorp
Hoho
Hoorp
The sound of Ji-hoon blowing on his tea cup echoed particularly loudly in the conference room.
Gyeom Hyeon-seok, who was still a budding hunter, felt the need to take the initiative in the conversation before Kang Hyeon-dong, the hunter, could accidentally make a mistake. But more than that, Kang Hyeon-dong was quicker.
“Strength? Are you planning to fight? With me, who’s a member of the Geumseong Guild?”
“Yeah. If you don’t like that, you can simply decide. Whether you’ll leave the academy or not.”
“Well… Are you planning to go around talking to all twelve idiots? As far as I know, there are no first-class students who graduate from the academy properly.”
Ji-hoon took a file from Seo-young’s bag and handed it over while answering.
“It’s a hassle, but we have to visit them all. Oh, I already took care of three idiots, so there are nine left, including you.”
Hyeon-dong’s brow furrowed at Ji-hoon’s words.
“Three idiots?”
“I can’t remember their names… Anyway, those three spoke well enough for me to recognize them on the day they graduated from the academy.”
Talk? A guy who stormed into a major guild like the Geumseong Guild barehanded could talk his way out of it quite well.
Hyeon-dong had no choice but to gradually take this absurd and inexplicable situation seriously.
At that moment, Geum Hyeon-seok, who was next to him, continued the conversation.
“Kang Ji-hoon… Hunter-nim, does that mean you’re willing to use the guild’s power, as you mentioned earlier?”
“That’s right. What I meant was that if you want to continue enjoying the privileges that guy has, you can join forces with other guild members to prevent me from showing my abilities.”
“…”
It’s not a difficult statement, but it’s hard to understand. How could an academy student behave like this?
Geum Hyeon-seok was never the type to brag about his ranking.
But at this moment, he had no choice but to mention it because he needed confirmation.
“I’m embarrassed, but my official hunter ranking recognized by the country is 24th. Did you come here assuming that you could face anyone?”
“Hmm… I didn’t know there was a ranker, so I can’t say that for sure, but… Well, if necessary, I came here prepared to face anyone.”
If he had come without knowing that there was a ranker at 24th place, shouldn’t he step back now? However, looking at his calm tone and actions, Geum Hyeon-seok realized that his ranking or reputation would have no impact at all.
“Heh…”
Geum Hyeon-seok’s concern deepened.
In his eyes, Baek Wol, who was standing next to Ji-hoon, kept catching his attention.
Gusung-jun, a hunter, wouldn’t entrust Baek Wol to just anyone…
Furthermore, for some reason, he couldn’t understand, his instincts kept pushing him to avoid a fight with that guy.
But Kang Hyeon-dong beside him seemed unaware of this.
“I don’t understand it well, but it doesn’t seem like a joke. Let’s go down. There’s a training ground on the 7th basement floor.”
“Gang Hyun-dong, the Hunter!”
Guild officials next to him stand up to restrain him.
Gang Hyun-dong, an A-class hunter in Academy Class 1, was now the main force of the Geumseong Guild.
Although he was in his early twenties, he could be considered the face of the Geumseong Guild as one of their prominent hunters.
If he happened to be injured or killed…
It would undoubtedly be a tremendous loss for the guild.
“It doesn’t seem like this guy is going to go down peacefully. Also, he’s got Wang Dong-su Hunter in his grasp.”
“He got punched because that guy doesn’t know courtesy.”
Ignoring his unjustifiable rebuttal, Hyun-dong spits out his words at the officials once again.
“I not only do not support him, but I also think it’d be best to put out this unnecessary spark as soon as it’s discovered, for the sake of future guild activities.”
“Refreshing. Let’s go.”
Smiling with pleasure at Hyun-dong’s words, Ji-hoon stands up.
“Who’s that next to you? Another Academy student?”
“That’s right. Han Su-yeong. She’s my friend and a healer.”
Upon Ji-hoon’s introduction, Su-yeong also stands up, feeling somehow embarrassed.
“But at least you brought a healer. You don’t want to die, do you?”
“Su-yeong brought you here for your sake.”
Hyun-dong’s expression twists at Ji-hoon’s meaning of the words.
“Let’s see if you can still be so arrogant after getting beaten in the underground.”
Snickering, Ji-hoon laughs and leaves the meeting room.
But he spots Geum Hyeon-seok still sitting, deep in thought.
“…The Ranker?”
“…?”
Unable to remember Geum Hyeon-seok’s name, Ji-hoon simply addresses him as the Ranker.
“Shall we go down together? I’ll make sure you don’t regret it later.”
“That guy wants a glimpse of what’s going on!”
Whoosh
Magic power bursts out of Hyun-dong’s body as he leaves the meeting room.
After hearing Jihoon’s words, his pent-up anger erupted.
Sssss
Chills ran down his spine.
“Ku…Kuk…What…”
“Go down and do it.”
Hyundong’s breath was caught in Jihoon’s aura.
A feeling he had never experienced in his life.
A real fear that he could actually die.
Since awakening as an A-ranked hunter, he had never felt such a bone-chilling terror.
But in a very short time, Hyundong found it strangely difficult to look Jihoon in the eyes.
“What… What is this… Why is my body reacting like this…”
Feeling his body suddenly stiffen, Hyundong carefully gathers his magic power.
“…Yes, I understand. I will go with you.”
Seeing Jihoon’s aura towards Hyundong, Geum Hyeonseok becomes convinced that his intuition was right.
His instinct that warned of danger.
But as the 24th ranked ranker and the top A-ranked hunter, an odd desire arises within him to see Jihoon’s strength with his own eyes and confront him.
***
Underground 7th floor of Geumseong Guild
Plain marble floors and four walls reminiscent of soundproof booths can be seen.
“It’s not just ordinary marble or walls. It’s even stronger than most alloys, so don’t worry and show your skills.”
Geum Hyeonseok kindly explains to Jihoon.
“The 24th ranker… you said?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You seem to have manners, so I’ll give you a special warning.”
I wonder what he’s going to say next, but now Geum Hyeonseok is actually looking forward to hearing what will come out of his mouth.
“I’ve seen quite a few hunters who draw out their magic power and create a noisy fight by exploding their skills. However, the fight against me won’t be such a big fight. There’s no need for such a loud method to take away the opponent’s life or subdue them. Only accurate strikes are needed.”
After Jihoon’s explanation, Geum Hyeonseok’s gaze towards him changes completely, as if he has realized something tremendous.
“Hey. Stop talking nonsense and come out.”
Gang Hyeondong appears, brandishing his sword and drawing in all his magic power, swinging it through the air.
In an attempt to deny the fear he felt towards Jihoon, his whole body was filled with a tremendous force.
As Kim Hyun-seok’s words about it being made of a highly resistant material were in vain, the floor and walls were cracking and splitting each time Hyun-dong swung his sword, accompanied by a surge of electricity.
Master swordsman Kang Hyun-dong.
The electricity emitted by his sword boasted an incredible power, breaking and splitting anything it touched with a tremendous sound.
“Shall we begin?”
“Come at me, you bastard.”
Ji-hoon asked for permission and gathered his inner power with a single breath.
!!
Although Kim Hyun-seok couldn’t perceive the existence of inner power, he vaguely sensed that Ji-hoon’s body changed completely as an unfamiliar force surged through him.
Ji-hoon’s innovative method of practicing the law
The intense electricity pouring towards him
Baek-wol shields against all the electricity.
“aaah!!! aaah!!!”
Kang Hyun-dong screamed while crumbling the floor with his fists.
His left arm and left leg lost their strength and trembled.
One charge, two swings.
Baek-wol’s blade quickly shattered Kang Hyun-dong’s left arm and leg.
Watching Ji-hoon’s movements, Kim Hyun-seok couldn’t help but stay silent, overwhelmed.
He had never seen anything like this.
No, he had never even heard of it.
Even though he was a top-ranked ranker.
“Take your stance.”
Ji-hoon, who easily defeated Hyun-dong within a few seconds, looked at Kim Hyun-seok with a blank expression.
Swoosh
A more serious aura than ever before engulfed Kim Hyun-seok’s eyes as he gathered his maximum magic power.
Would he ever come across such a strong individual in his lifetime?
Kim Hyun-seok pulled all of the magic power he possessed.
A smile filled with anticipation and excitement appeared on his face.
***
“Huff… huff…”
“Don’t hassle me for no reason… Are you very tired?”
“Ah… no, I’m fine, Jihoon.”
“You don’t look okay… From the next raid onwards, I’ll make sure to prepare a healer from within.”
“I’m really fine… Huh? The next raid?”
“Yeah, the next raid. What are you asking?”
“Where… again? Us?”
“Yeah, there are five left.”
“Are we… doing them all today?”
“Oh, so that’s why we finished quickly.”
Destroying guilds is not like going on a food tour.
Watching Jihoon’s expression of nonchalance, Sooyoung wasn’t sure how to react.
Sooyoung had to go through four famous guilds in Seoul’s downtown before she could follow Jihoon to a pizza place as he became hungry.
The pizza arrived, but her eyes were still fixed on the Level 1 profile files.
“Big Number… Guilds left…”
“Well… Yeah… It seems like it’s a pretty big guild with four people in one guild. You should eat too.”
Big Number Guild, one of the world’s top three guilds… Jihoon didn’t know anything about it.
“Jihoon… Big Number Guild is… an American guild.”
“Is this pizza place a franchise from the USA too?”
Yeah… Let’s just eat pizza.
Sooyoung picked up a slice of pizza and put it in her mouth.
As she chewed, the rich cheese filled her mouth, tasting incredibly delicious.