My Self-Indulgent Skill Book: Chapter 55
Chapter 55
At the news that the Paewang Guild had moved, I approached the guild members who were causing an uproar.
A breaking news alert was floating on the phone screen held by the guild member at the center.
I asked him about the article’s contents. After hearing the guild member’s explanation, I was left speechless.
This morning, five hunters from the Paewang Guild had each taken on one guild, knocking out all the hunters there, destroying the building, and killing the guild master of said guild.
Among the five mid-sized guilds was even a first-class guild that had defected to the Anti-Paewang Alliance after the previous match against the Paewang Guild.
The Paewang Guild had even issued a statement better described as a declaration of war: “From now on, all guilds are to come under the Paewang Guild. Those who come willingly will live, but those who refuse will face only ruin.”
While the guild hall was growing rowdy, everyone’s phones vibrated.
An emergency summons notice had been posted on the guild app.
“I assume you all already know, but five mid-sized guilds of the Anti-Paewang Alliance were annihilated this morning.”
About an hour later, the deputy guild master spoke before us gathered in the hall.
He said that since the guild master had to attend an emergency meeting of the Anti-Paewang Alliance, he had taken charge of the announcement instead.
“Currently, all guilds in the Anti-Paewang Alliance are maintaining periodic contact to prepare for the Paewang Guild’s attack. The Paewang Guild has not moved as a whole yet, but what is clear is that they have started speaking with nothing but pure strength, without justification or pretext. It means nothing they do would be strange.”
“W-what should we do?”
A new guild member who had joined after the last match asked with an anxious face.
“The Anti-Paewang Alliance will resist the Paewang Guild’s tyranny by combining our strength, just as we have done until now. However, it seems we will be unable to operate the guild for the time being.”
“Can we even face the Paewang Guild’s hunters? They are monsters who annihilated mid-sized guilds single-handedly…….”
The atmosphere among the other hunters darkened at the new member’s words.
“The S-rank and above hunters of our Atlas, myself included, will not fall so easily. Evergreen is still with us as well. I know you are worried, but please trust us.”
The deputy guild master raised his voice as if trying to dispel the mood.
“I said that in front of the guild members, but the situation is quite serious.”
The guild master’s office.
After gathering the four of us—myself, Uncle Gang Il, Hyeri, and O Seyeon—the deputy guild master spoke.
“Knowing that a single hunter destroyed a mid-sized guild, many guilds—especially smaller ones—have already left the Anti-Paewang Alliance. Even a first-class guild was completely destroyed, so they must have realized they were nothing.”
“I still can’t believe it. I wonder if this is a dream, it’s so unreal.”
Uncle Gang Il said in a dumbfounded voice.
“Me too. No matter how much of an SS-rank hunter they are, exceeding the martial force of an entire guild is beyond common sense.”
“That’s right. It’s beyond common sense.”
The deputy guild master spoke with a gloomy face he had not shown before the guild members.
“Common sense has changed overnight. The guild master was bewildered too. He knew the Paewang Guild had many SS-rank hunters, but he said even he didn’t know they had hunters of this caliber.”
“The guild master is probably stronger than those five.”
O Seyeon muttered from the side.
“Do you know about those five?”
When I asked, O Seyeon shook her head.
“I don’t know their detailed abilities or personalities. But when I was captured by the Paewang Guild before……. I saw five hunters groveling before the guild master.”
“Is that so…….”
Well, any hunter would grovel before a hunter with all stats at 49. If possible, I’d run away before facing a monster like that.
“For now, the guild master said he would gather as much information as possible on those five hunters. Also, Ms. Hwajin and Ms. Seyeon. You two are absolutely forbidden from acting alone from now on.”
O Seyeon’s eyebrows rose at those words.
“Are you planning to put a watch on us?”
I let out a sigh at that.
“Hey. Think a little more moderately. The Paewang Guild is targeting us. It’s dangerous to wander around alone and get ambushed, so they’re telling you to stick with someone.”
“Yes. Ms. Hwajin is right.”
The deputy guild master gave a bitter smile, and O Seyeon turned her head away. She had enough reason to be embarrassed, having jumped to the wrong conclusion and even suspected them.
‘Hunters beyond common sense, huh……. I’ll need to prepare for this properly.’
After thinking for a moment, I looked at the deputy guild master.
“Deputy Guild Master. There is a place I’d like to visit.”
“Where is that?”
“The detention center.”
We split into two groups.
Uncle Gang Il, Hyeri, and O Seyeon went to escort the guild master attending the meeting, while the deputy guild master headed to the detention center with me.
In Korea, there is exactly one place in Seoul: a detention center and prison exclusively for hunters. Im Jiyeon, Jeong Cheolyeon, and Yu Songhwa should be imprisoned there.
I planned to ask them for information about the Paewang Guild’s five hunters.
The Paewang Guild had pinned all responsibility for the train derailment incident on them. So they might have developed anger or a sense of betrayal toward their guild.
‘If they’re still fanatically loyal, I’ll have to use some drastic methods.’
The deputy guild master and I, having arrived at the detention center, tried to apply for a visitation.
The first person I would meet was Im Jiyeon.
Since she seemed to have taken on the role of leader, she would probably know more than the other two.
“Ah. There is someone who arrived before you?”
The officer made a troubled expression.
‘We really came too suddenly, after all.’
Just as I was muttering that.
Kwaaang!
A sudden explosion rang out, followed by a siren.
“Incident in the women’s ward! I repeat! Incident in the women’s ward!”
Hearing the voice from the radio, the deputy guild master and I looked at each other. Then, without any idea of who was first, we ran out.
“The women’s ward seems to be that way!”
The deputy guild master ran ahead.
“Could it be the Paewang Guild?”
I asked.
“We cannot deny the possibility. Right now, the Paewang Guild is rampaging believing only in strength, regardless of law or justification.”
‘If it is the Paewang Guild, why did they come here?’
‘To rescue imprisoned guild members? Or…….’
“I see it! Over there!”
There was a huge hole in the first floor of the concrete building.
‘Damn.’
Prison guard hunters were collapsed here and there. The inmates were busy escaping through the gap.
Kwang!
Another deafening roar was heard. We ran toward where the sound came from.
‘Found them!’
On the side of the building, in the shadows, there was a familiar face.
“Kruk!”
Im Jiyeon, wearing a prisoner’s uniform, was groaning as she was grabbed by the scruff of her neck.
The one holding Im Jiyeon by the scruff was a giant of a man.
The man wore silver-gray heavy armor and had circular shields attached to both arms.
I lowered my gaze and was shocked. Yu Songhwa was on the ground.
Yu Songhwa was dead with her waist twisted completely backward.
The man turned his head while still holding Im Jiyeon by the scruff.
“Hm? You two are……. This is an unexpected windfall.”
The man made an unsightly smile.
“To think I’d see I Hwajin and Atlas’s Deputy Guild Master Choe Jinhan here. This works out perfectly. Wait just a moment. I’ll deal with you right after I kill this wench.”
The man threw Im Jiyeon into the sky. She flew straight upward as if she were a cannonball.
“Counter prevention?!”
“At this rate, Im Jiyeon will die crashing into the ground.”
“Shrink!”
I used the skill and leaped upward.
Even as I approached, Im Jiyeon was still flying upward.
“Magic Barrier!”
I used my staff to create a wall of magic power above Im Jiyeon.
As Im Jiyeon collided with it, the magic wall stretched back like a net.
This was possible because I could control the elasticity to some degree.
“Magic Barrier!”
I used the skill once more. This time, it was beneath my feet.
Standing on the magic wall, I caught the falling Im Jiyeon.
“You are…….”
“If you don’t want to die, stay still here.”
I left Im Jiyeon on the magic wall I had created in midair and jumped down alone.
“Strange. Why is someone like you using that insipid brat’s skill?”
The giant asked me after I landed.
Without answering, I aimed my staff. I planned to trap him in a Magic Barrier.
“Hmph.”
But the next moment, he appeared right in front of me.
I stiffened with my staff raised. The shield attached to his arm approached me.
“Ms. Hwajin!”
Kuwung!
He blocked the deputy guild master’s charge with his other arm.
The impact between the two was so strong that sparks flew as shield met shield.
However, there was a difference in their expressions.
While the deputy guild master was gritting his teeth, the one before me was making a relaxed expression.
“So this is all the Deputy Guild Master of Atlas amounts to. Killing you probably won’t increase my soul capacity by much.”
“So you really are a hunter from the Paewang Guild!”
The deputy guild master shouted.
“That’s right. An SS-rank hunter of the Paewang Guild. I am Gwon Inwon. Remember it well. Though you’ll be dead soon.”
“No, you’re the one who dies.”
“Ugh!?”
He leaped back and felt around his face.
A sphere of magic I had created was covering his face like an upside-down fishbowl.
“Purgatory.”
I used the skill while aiming my staff at his head.
His head was engulfed in flames.
He struck the sphere enveloping his head with his fists, trying to somehow remove it.
“It’s useless. I reinforced it with the
As expected, the sphere didn’t break.
“Kraaaah!”
“Keohk!”
The man charged at me with the same high-speed movement as before.
Instead of breaking the sphere, he was trying to kill me, the caster.
Kuwung!
It was an enormous impact. The surrounding scenery flashed by in an instant.
Only when my back finally hit something did I stop flying.
Something welled up from inside.
“Keulreok!”
What burst from my mouth was blood. My insides were definitely a mess from the impact.
Not falling into a coma was truly fortunate.
“Heal…….”
I hurriedly used the skill. Having flown through a wall, I was now inside a cell block.
“Kraaaah!”
His monstrous roar rang out.
It meant the invisible ultra-high-speed charge, performed while covering his body with heavy armor and shields, was coming again.
“Magic Shield!”
I cast a barrier in front of me.
Kuuuung!
Immediately after, his figure appeared.
The building shook from the collision between the Magic Shield and him.
“Kurgh…….”
But that was the end of it.
Inside the magic sphere on his neck, flames were still burning.
After a moment, he toppled forward.
“Phewww.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead. I really thought I was going to die.
“No wonder there weren’t any hunters who could stand against this…….”
I examined the Magic Barrier I had cast in front of me. The [Magic Barrier] reinforced with the
“Ms. Hwajin!”
The deputy guild master was running over.
“I’m fine! Unhurt!”
I said as I stood up. I hadn’t been able to get up since being sent flying.
“It’s not over yet!!”
“What?”
Im Jiyeon was running along behind the deputy guild master.
I looked down.
Twitch.
His body was moving.