Episode 16
Chairman Lee was one of the wealthiest men in South Korea, easily counted on one hand.
His influence was considerable not just in Korea, but across the world as well.
After growing his company, he had expanded his power to an enormous degree.
Such was the office of Chairman Lee.
The more successful the wealthy, the less lavish they tended to be.
Rather, it was unbelievably simple.
A design combining modernity and simplicity.
That place, finished in something akin to brown cushioning, contained nothing but Chairman Lee’s desk, a plush chair, and the bookshelves.
Knock, knock.
“Chairman.”
Yu Jin-seong did not speak unless the Chairman asked him to.
He himself was a man of few words, and unlike his outward image, the Chairman was not one to enjoy unnecessary conversation.
At least when it came to work, Chairman Lee was quite cold-headed.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Yu Jin-seong entered.
Yu Jin-seong gave a brief nod.
“What is it?”
The Chairman, who had been reading the news in English, removed his glasses and looked at Yu Jin-seong.
“It’s about that secret manual you recently obtained.”
He was referring to the secret manual Chairman Lee had sent Jong-hyeon to retrieve from America.
“Ah, yes. My daughter was making such a fuss.”
Two years ago.
Chairman Lee’s daughter, Lee Bo-ri, had wanted to become a Hunter herself.
Chairman Lee had initially thought it a joke, but due to her persistent pestering, he made her a promise.
“Bo-ri, if you get into Saul University’s Hunter Department, I will permit it.”
Saul University’s Hunter Department.
It was currently the most difficult department to get into in all of Korea.
Simply graduating granted the benefit of being registered as an E-Rank Ranker.
Chairman Lee was certain Bo-ri could not get into that school.
‘This girl has only ever done fitness for exercise. Her grades aren’t that good either.’
But Bo-ri, who was a high school sophomore at the time, was quite stubborn, and she pestered Yu Jin-seong’s disciple to teach her the sword.
“See that she doesn’t get hurt.”
That was all Chairman Lee had asked.
However.
Two years later, Bo-ri passed the Hunter Department entrance exam without even needing to retake it.
The flustered Chairman Lee sought out Yu Jin-seong immediately upon hearing the news.
“Jin-seong. How did this happen? What trick did she use?”
“I do not know. According to my disciple, Miss Bo-ri has considerable talent for swordsmanship…”
Chairman Lee looked at Yu Jin-seong with a bewildered expression.
“What are the possibilities?”
Yu Jin-seong thought deeply before answering with an apologetic air.
“If she trains properly for about ten years, I believe she could reach C-Rank.”
“Is that so?”
Chairman Lee fell into thought once more.
His own daughter.
Having lost his wife, Chairman Lee had lived only for his daughter.
Become a Ranker among rough Hunters and raid dungeons?
He was endlessly worried for his daughter.
But a promise was a promise.
When he tried to equivocate, Bo-ri clung to him persistently.
“You said you’d permit it. Enrollment is in less than five days!!!”
In the end, Chairman Lee made his decision.
“Very well. I permit it. But after you graduate, won’t you reconsider becoming a Ranker?”
Of course, Bo-ri had absolutely no intention of reconsidering—not even by an ant’s toenail—but she accepted her father’s proposal for the time being to secure his permission.
And so Bo-ri began attending Saul University’s Hunter Department.
“What should I give her as an entrance gift…”
Chairman Lee fell into worry.
He wanted to give her something special that money alone could not buy.
“How about a secret manual?”
It was Yu Jin-seong’s advice.
For a moment, Chairman Lee nearly lost his temper.
If he got her a secret manual, wouldn’t his daughter only want to become a Hunter even more?
‘Wait. She’s already entering the Hunter Department, and she’ll surely pester me to become a Ranker after graduation. Then wouldn’t it be the right choice for my daughter to possess a powerful martial art?’
Having thought that far, Chairman Lee…
Through the route Yu Jin-seong had uncovered, Chairman Lee was able to find a secret manual left behind by a martial artist named Cheonwon Simje, who had been unfortunate, not particularly famous, but powerful.
But it would be a waste to use a cow-killing knife to slaughter chickens.
He couldn’t send Yu Jin-seong all the way to America for that.
And so Jong-hyeon had gone to retrieve the secret manual instead.
“It seems Jong-hyeon has learned that secret manual.”
“What?”
Chairman Lee’s expression turned quite surprised.
The very reason the auction had been conducted through underground trade.
The Black Dave Guild had been aiming for the same secret manual, so it had been decided to sell to the highest bidder.
“I see. I did find it odd that he took his time returning. If that was the reason, it makes sense.”
“What will you do?”
Truthfully, it didn’t matter if Jong-hyeon learned the secret manual.
He had given it to his daughter, but the manual was so difficult that she couldn’t even decipher it.
That Jong-hyeon had learned it on his own instead… Chairman Lee suddenly found himself curious about the extent of Jong-hyeon’s talent.
A typical mercenary would have been killed for the sense of betrayal, but Jong-hyeon was someone who held slightly more meaning for Chairman Lee.
Because he had been one of the decisive factors in bringing Chairman Lee to his current position.
Stealing and utilizing the trade secrets of rival companies had been impossible without Jong-hyeon’s touch.
Chairman Lee suddenly felt that Yu Jin-seong’s expression was different from usual.
“It looks as though you’ve already taken some measure?”
Chairman Lee’s question, having caught an expression on Yu Jin-seong’s face that seemed to hide something.
Yu Jin-seong spoke with an apologetic expression.
“I have merely cleared the path for his martial arts.”
Yu Jin-seong swallowed the words, “Somehow, I had a feeling you would want me to.”
In any case, it had been a unilateral decision on his part.
It was more than enough reason to be reprimanded.
“Now you seem to know what to do even before I order it?”
“I apologize.”
“Not at all. I say it because it’s remarkable. I trust you. But in this case, I cannot deny that it was something you should not have done on your own.”
Chairman Lee spoke in a deep, heavy voice—neither pressing nor warm.
But there was a barb in his words.
No matter how interested he himself was, helping Jong-hyeon in this situation without Chairman Lee’s permission was not something Yu Jin-seong should have done.
Yu Jin-seong bowed his head once more and answered.
“I apologize.”
“Not at all. So that’s what happened. Well done. I shall think on this matter as well. You may leave.”
Yu Jin-seong saluted and went outside.
★ ★ ★
Sphinx.
A monster from ancient Oriental mythology. Its origins began in Egypt.
‘But come to think of it, why is something like that in a dungeon like this?’
Dungeons seemed to be greatly influenced by Earth, knowingly or unknowingly.
After all, the monsters one could encounter in C-Rank and lower dungeons—goblins, orcs, and the like—were creatures frequently featured in the world’s novels.
Jong-hyeon, who had entered the pyramid, could not hide his astonishment.
It was strange enough that a steel door stood at the central entrance, but the inside of the pyramid was completely empty.
All that was present were an orb emitting tremendous light at the very top of the ceiling and, in the very center, nothing but a Sphinx statue.
‘But how does this thing work?’
Since it was a Sphinx, he had expected there to be riddles or something requiring mental effort.
But it wasn’t responding, which was troublesome.
“Shall I try cutting it?”
Jong-hyeon twirled the short sword in his hand this way and that, sizing up his options.
But he soon gave up.
Because something had caught his eye.
At the foot of the Sphinx. A single note lay there.
[How to Activate the Sphinx…]
Having read the note, Jong-hyeon left the dungeon without hesitation.
He had to clear the dungeon from the beginning again.
Given a three-day penalty, Jong-hyeon continued to train his internal energy.
Now, even without exerting himself, he displayed movements far superior to his previous body.
If anyone saw him through the window, they’d think he was a madman, but there was no one to see Jong-hyeon through the window of his 10th-floor officetel anyway.
‘Should I go outside for the first time in a while?’
Until now, Jong-hyeon had never properly gone outside due to the threats against him.
He wanted to visit the market for the first time in ages and eat some meat.
He started his car and quickly passed through the city.
Jong-hyeon deliberately passed by the orphanage.
Because he wanted to imprint the sight of the orphanage in his eyes once more, even from afar.
And what entered Jong-hyeon’s sight were workers restoring the broken areas.
‘Strange. The orphanage shouldn’t have enough funds to restore those.’
Soon, seeing the clothes the workers were wearing, Jong-hyeon gave a bitter smile.
The mark on the clothes the workers wore was a V.
It was the Chairman’s consideration.
Realizing this, Jong-hyeon quickly passed the orphanage lest the director see his car.
“Man, if I don’t get the Red Talisman, I’m really going to catch an earful.”
After shopping suitably, Jong-hyeon stopped by the grill house he used to frequent.
In his childhood, in the days when he used to pickpocket.
Back then, Jong-hyeon had desperately wished to buy meat from that grill house with money earned honestly.
But even when he became a well-earning mercenary, Jong-hyeon could not come here with that money because of the shackles of murder.
It was only after becoming a Hunter that he could visit this grill house, and so he became a regular.
“Oh! Young man, long time no see!”
The grill house lady welcomed him gladly.
“Ah, yes. I’ve been a bit busy lately.”
“So. Your face seems to have changed a bit?”
“Has it? Haha. Two servings of samgyeopsal for now, please.”
Jong-hyeon gave an awkward smile and sat at a window seat.
There were quite a lot of people around, and it was noisy.
Especially behind where Jong-hyeon sat, it was quite loud as if Hunters were having a company dinner.
Sizzle, sizzle.
While the meat cooked, Jong-hyeon searched his phone for anything that might help him.
But after the schools of magic and martial arts were established, information that had been floating around the internet was almost entirely deleted under the guise of information security.
There was nothing new worth seeing for Jong-hyeon.
Once the meat was cooked, Jong-hyeon began to eat heartily.
Then a voice reached his ears.
“I mean, once you become a C-Rank Hunter, you earn hundreds of millions in annual salary. Plus, at that level, there’s no danger~”
That voice grated terribly on Jong-hyeon.
They seemed to be merely E to D-Rank at best, yet they were spouting such nonsense about becoming invincible at C-Rank.
Just as he was almost finished eating, trouble broke out.
“Hey lady, why is this over 400,000 won? Give us a discount. We’ve got a lot of people!”
Those same guys having the company dinner were picking a fight with the lady.
The lady spoke as if troubled.
“Come on. It’s not like we dig up earth to do business. I’ll take four bottles off the alcohol tab as service. Just pay 396,000 won.”
But the group did not know how to accept this.
“Hey. Don’t you know who we are? We’re Rankers designated by the country! Can’t you cut us some slack?”
The man, seemingly drunk and unreasonable, had begun threatening her.
Jong-hyeon found the sight very unpleasant, but due to his nature, he tried to quietly pay and leave.
Regular customer or not, he hated trouble.
“Excuse me, could you step aside? I’d like to pay.”
Then the man who had been shouting and threatening the lady glared and yelled at Jong-hyeon.
“Can’t you see we’re talking here? Who the hell do you think you’re telling to move!”
Jong-hyeon reminded himself to be patient and spoke again.
“I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry. May I pay first and leave?”
The glaring Ranker turned fully toward Jong-hyeon and shouted.
“We’re government-certified D-Rankers! Making trash like you disappear without a trace is easy. Want a demonstration?”
That was the limit.
Jong-hyeon’s expression twisted in an instant, and his eyes turned fierce.
“Sir. I understand you’ve had too much to drink, but is a Ranker really making a scene over a mere 390,000 won?”
At Jong-hyeon’s annoyed voice, the glaring man raised his hand to strike him.
“If you’re going to fight, pay up and take it outside!”
The lady shouted with a tearful voice.
Jong-hyeon came to his senses.
‘Ah. I went too far.’
“Fine, it’s awkward to fight here, so let’s settle this outside. If even a single one of you can beat me, I’ll pay for your drinks.”
Only then did the partying Rankers sense that the situation was no ordinary one.
“Follow me.”
Having said that, Jong-hyeon walked out the door.
---------= Author's Afterword =---------
In Korea, you shouldn’t help just anyone.
It’s easy to hear things like that.
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In the early parts, I focused as much as possible on Jong-hyeon’s personality and the few characters around him.
The reason the setting is important is because it becomes quite a significant part in understanding Jong-hyeon’s story as it unfolds later.
(An excuse for writing that might be a bit boring...)