NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41
41.
A few hours later.
The lowest floor of the Hunter Association.
“Ah, I’m even more nervous now.”
“Me too.”
“Everyone… please have some coffee.”
Baek Min-ho politely accepted the coffee.
“Ah, thank you. Your kindness makes the coffee taste even better.”
“Ah.”
“Th-thank you.”
The upper level of the practical exam venue.
Baek Min-ho, who was in charge of the practical exam, leaned against the outer railing.
The lights coming from below.
The artificial structures made the external scenery stand out even more.
“The coffee is sweet. Hmm. Is this the taste of money?”
He took a sip of his mixed coffee and observed the situation.
Lee Ok-bun and Min Jung-wi were passing the time with cynical conversations.
They had been asked by both Kang Mi-young and Kang Jin-young to take care of things, so they couldn’t afford to be careless.
The others were similar.
Dressed neatly in uniforms, they chatted quietly. There was no need to worry. This was just daily life here.
They thought it would be fine to get acquainted with overseas buyers and guild personnel.
“Ah, hello. Yes, yes.”
Baek Min-ho shamelessly greeted the officials and exchanged pleasantries.
“This is Manager Cha Ji-seon. She’s from the special R&D department of Gangcheon Group.”
Baek Min-ho’s expression stiffened.
This official was a woman.
Which department did she say she was from?
Gangcheon. Right, Gangcheon.
There was no particular reason for Baek Min-ho’s surprise.
The official looked very young. When he first saw her, he thought someone had brought their child. The more he listened to the conversation, the more his head stiffened.
‘Non-Awakened. An executive?’
Gangcheon.
A top-tier conglomerate that never misses the top spot in South Korea’s business world.
Companies also hire hunters and run guilds. It’s natural for them to be in such a position. Though they might not have the name value of the top four guilds, they were a rapidly growing new powerhouse.
‘If it’s about purpose… a hundred or a thousand. It must be that guy.’
Lee Seong-han.
Clearly, they must be targeting him.
He shook hands lightly.
“Where are you from?”
Cha Ji-seon asked.
Her voice was cold.
She was shorter than Baek Min-ho, who was already short. But her presence and attitude were like that of a seasoned old man.
A calm and cold expression.
Baek Min-ho slowly stepped back.
“Ah, I’m Baek Min-ho, a healer. I’m in charge of military cooperation and overseeing this practical exam.”
“You’re not doing the evaluation alone, right?”
“Correct. This is Min Jung-wi, who came with me.”
Min Jung-wi, who had been snacking, hurriedly stepped forward. It’s good to get familiar with the evaluators beforehand.
“P-please take care of me!!”
His voice was hearty, but he trembled like a leaf, clearly nervous.
Baek Min-ho pointed to the next person.
This time, it was Kang Jin-young’s line.
“Ah, the person with orange hair here is Lee Ok-bun from the National Intelligence Service’s 10th Bureau. She’s in charge of on-site management for the exam.”
“Please take care of me………”
Lee Ok-bun looked gloomy. Extremely so. As if the person she was expecting wasn’t there.
She bowed.
Then returned to her seat.
The introductions were roughly done.
Baek Min-ho, as the senior, stepped forward to maintain dignity.
“By the way, Gangcheon is quite unexpected. They don’t need to look for talent separately; it comes to them naturally. Is it such a big deal that Gangcheon Group is moving directly?”
“Yes.”
A short answer came back.
“If you need personnel information, there are places like the Military Intelligence Command and the Military Manpower Administration, right?”
“Seongpung and Hyunjin are advancing in the magic stone field. They’ve also secured some exclusive gates. We need talent too.”
“I see.”
“According to internal sources… the talent coming out this time has solved some major incidents.”
Seongpung.
Hyunjin.
Both are perennial second-place contenders aiming for Gangcheon’s top spot.
The officials behind them coughed and stepped back. It must be awkward aiming for the top spot.
“Ah, I see. I know that guy well too.”
“Do you have any sponsors? Or any contract-related matters?”
“No, nothing like that.”
Gangcheon is moving.
This is insane.
But then again, for a company of that scale, it’s impossible to stop them.
No matter how talented someone is, it’s reality to be swallowed by a smart and wealthy conglomerate.
Those guys have the most bullets.
There are three most terrifying things in a gambling den.
1. An unpredictable madman.
2. A smart guy with lots of bullets.
3. A guy with murderous intent.
And there are even worse guys here.
‘The ones who set the stage. The ones who throw the dice don’t decide anything. The ones who count the dice control everything.’
Fighting Gangcheon means dealing with all three at once.
Baek Min-ho smiled bitterly. It’s a failure. This time, there’s no choice but to step back. He’s someone who can communicate, after all.
Messing with Gangcheon? Even if three generations are wiped out, people on the internet will say, “It was bound to happen.”
Ugh, mom. After this is over, I’ll go to Mohito and have a Maldives or something.
Baek Min-ho finished a few conversations and quickly stepped back.
“……I haven’t fully grasped it yet.”
Cha Ji-seon pondered the conversation.
She turned her gaze to the display.
Various personnel files and documents flashed by.
About 5 seconds.
Though the content was brief, Cha Ji-seon’s eyes lit up. After a few flashes.
…
…
…
Right now!
“Stop.”
“Understood.”
The operator stopped the display.
A rare male hunter. Though still classified, there are rumors that he has obtained an EX-Rank Trait and even double Awakening.
[Lee Seong-han, F-Rank Hunter]
The name she revealed in front of everyone.
“Sisters, huh. It wasn’t for nothing that they intervened. They say he’s uncontrollable or something.”
Cha Ji-seon smiled bitterly while looking at the photo.
***
-Yes, yes, please take your seats. The first examinees of the second day are here. Congratulations. Wow.
Lee Ok-bun quietly clapped like a seal on the steel stage. Her emotionless face stood out.
No, it seemed like she was annoyed to be here.
She was in the underground of the Hunter Association. An artificial cave.
Below the stage, broadcast station reporters were setting up, and in front of the stage, rows of white plastic chairs, like those in a convenience store, were lined up.
The atmosphere was like a high school festival—or in other words, a mess!
Lee Seong-han quietly sighed.
“It’s so…”
“Desolate, right?”
“Yes.”
I know. My eyes aren’t made of stone.—Kang Jin-young said with her arms crossed.
She was like a Dark Templar trying to become a Dark Archon, sticking close to him.
“By the way, Seong-han.”
“Yes.”
“Are you scared of women?”
Suddenly?
Hmm. I’ve never been scared of women.
“Hmm.”
“Why do you ask?”
Kang Jin-young made a serious face.
-Ah, hello… I’m Lee Ok-bun from the Civil Cooperation Bureau of the National Intelligence Agency… I’m here regarding the guidance for this promotion exam…”
Lee Ok-bun explained softly from the stage.
-First—
She stopped mid-sentence.
From afar, her superior was glaring at her.
A look that could kill.
If it were just a look, it would be fine… but her superior was the type to act on it.
“Do it right. If you don’t want to die.”
She mouthed the words.
“Really.”
She even said it twice to make sure she remembered.
If she were to say “Screw you!” and keep the tension high here?
It would be comfortable for now, but she’d be getting friendly with water in the basement of Namsan upon returning to headquarters.
“Hey.”
“Yes!”
“Hey.”
“Yes!!”
“Get your head straight.”
“Understood, ah!!”
“What’s with you? Did you get too comfortable because I’ve been nice lately? Are you going to open up to Chinese spies with a ‘Ni hao’? Are you a spy?”
“Sorry…”
Bang!
“Who told you to say your name?! You’re an idiot. Got it? A damn idiot. Say it! What are you?”
“An idiot!!”
“Good.”
No wonder they call him the Wizard of Namsan.
He loosened his neck and raised the tension.
Even though it feels like dying now.
It’s still a hundred times better than actually dying.
“Ahem! Everyone, please look this way! The monsters here are currently—”
Only then did Kang Jin-young smile brightly.
They couldn’t let the first practical exam go to waste.
***
The situation briefing was over.
Now, only the practical and interview exams remain.
Lee Seong-han sat in the transport container.
Slightly smaller than a regular container, it was equipped with a few chairs and various supplies to carry three or four people.
The practical exam venue was separated by barriers, so heavy equipment was needed to move. It was a decent way to travel.
A broadcast could be heard from afar.
-Please board according to your assigned groups.
The practical exam moves in groups. It’s impossible to take it alone. You need to form a party to stay safe inside the gate.
“Uh, excuse me?”
It was dark inside.
They hadn’t turned on the lights yet.
But there was no need to turn them on.
“……”
“……”
The Kang sisters glared at each other as if they wanted to kill one another. Sitting on the chairs, facing each other like Roman gods.
They were communicating with just their eyes.
｢Don’t talk nonsense and answer properly. What monsters are coming out for this training?｣
｢I can’t tell you that. Fairness is an important factor.｣
｢Fairness is a topic you treated like it was dead. You talk too much.｣
｢Even if I don’t interfere, it’s practically a pass. It’s a foregone conclusion. Stop overreacting.｣
｢A foregone conclusion?｣
Lee Seong-han was startled but then relaxed.
Ugh, eco-friendly lighting, huh.
Seriously.
Judging by their bickering, there must be at least one fighter in the family.
Blue.
Red.
Like soul rivals.
Democrats and Republicans.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
Together with the people—
[Blocking political topics is absolutely! Absolutely! Not allowed.]
“What.”
Isn’t mentioning Democrats and Republicans the problem in the first place?
While Lee Seong-han tilted his head in confusion.
The sisters swapped faces like they were changing masks and glared at Lee Seong-han.
“Did you come, officer? Nothing much happened.”
“This time, we’re participating as supervisors~ Aren’t you happy?! I’ll be marking you, so you better be prepared!”
“O-of course. I’m so happy I could cry.”
The sisters nodded as if it was a good answer.
Then, footsteps could be heard from afar.
Probably the hunters who would board with them. Lee Seong-han was about to turn his head away.
“Ah, noona, stop it.”
“You talk too much, you damn porter.”
“Ah.”
At the container door were Geum Tae-yang in heavy armor and a scrawny man in tattered clothes.
Geum Tae-yang had his arm stuck in Cheonan… He was kneading something.
I don’t want to know what it was. Lee Seong-han averted his gaze.
The blue badge on his chest. Another lackey of the Blue Dragon Guild.
Especially that face.
Wasn’t she the one who mocked me at the registration entrance? Lee Seong-han couldn’t help but feel repulsed.
Enough to want to kill her. But he held back. It was clear that it would negatively affect the evaluation.
Especially since doing something like this would mean discharge was out of the question. Even a dishonorable discharge would be impossible for an Awakened.
“You, you!”
Geum Tae-yang pointed in panic.
Lee Seong-han looked at the Kang sisters.
‘Can I beat him up?’
｢Go ahead.｣
｢Yes.｣
Both nodded.
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