Chapter 48
"Uncle, why does the Guild Master give you presents?"
"To look after you."
"Huh...?"
Watching Baek Hamin make a puzzled expression, I sensed the flow emanating from the box offered by Baek Jiseong's secretary. What is it this time? Considering I couldn't feel any flow, it wasn't a relic or an artifact.
Then it must be money.
Having roughly guessed it, I tossed the box back at the secretary, who was watching my reaction with a nervous face. Catching the unopened box, the secretary bit his lip and rushed toward me.
"Hunter Seong Dohyeon."
"Pfft."
Good grief, 'Hunter-nim'? He hadn't even used a proper title, let alone an honorific, and now he changes his attitude as easily as flipping his hand. Openly mocking Baek Jiseong's secretary, I took Baek Hamin's hand and turned away. Chasing after me, the secretary pulled out an invitation from his coat.
"Perhaps on Saturday..."
"I don't have time. And I have no intention of going."
Seriously, now he does this.
Ever since the pool incident, Baek Jiseong must have been greatly surprised by my abilities, as he started sending me gifts. Most of the gifts were high-end artifacts with a hefty price tag, but I refused them all.
When I rejected all his proposals to meet one-on-one, there were times he sent his secretary to invite me to a meal, like today. But I refused all of these as well.
What I wanted was for Baek Jiseong to feel the same anxiety I did and live in fear.
That's what happens when you throw the first punch at someone who was living quietly. Do you know how hard I worked to find that house, and you just tear it down?
Did he think I'd cave if he came at me with gifts and appeasement now? Snorting, I looked at Baek Gyeongmin, who was playing with Baek Hamin and Yang Jiyul.
To my senses, I could hear the thirteen bodyguards in total—three standing behind, four on either side, and six around Baek Gyeongmin—swallowing dryly.
I mean, even if I am Seong Dohyeon, do I look like someone who would hurt a child? I genuinely had no intention of lifting a finger against Baek Gyeongmin.
But Baek Jiseong must have thought differently, as it wasn't long before he threatened me again using another method.
"You're telling me to leave the guild?"
Baek Jiseong calmly nodded at my question, which was dripping with disbelief. He said that because I hadn't properly fulfilled the contract conditions, the contract was void and I should leave the Baekwoo Guild. However, since Baek Jiseong was the one who proposed the contract, the situation was far more advantageous to me. If the contract was terminated without my consent, the contract bead would burst inside Baek Jiseong's body.
Knowing this, Baek Jiseong tried to appease me as much as possible, and I demanded the materials to repair M's Belt and 'M's Key'. M's Key, which could open and close the dungeons managed by the Baekwoo Guild, was essentially the very identity of the Baekwoo Guild, so Baek Jiseong naturally refused, and once again demanded the termination of the contract, claiming I wasn't fulfilling his demand to 'chase after Baek Eunseong'.
"I tried to chase after him, but someone kept pathetically telling me not to follow him around, so I couldn't enter the Baekwoo Guild's dungeon."
"......"
"So how could I chase after him?"
Biting his lip at my words, Baek Jiseong immediately issued me a dungeon access pass. His face turning red and blue, unable to say anything lest I harm Baek Gyeongmin, was quite funny.
Even after that, he subtly brought up whether I had any intention of returning to my original house since he had repaired it for me.
Seriously, with what determination did I decide to live with Baek Eunseong, only to go back so soon? And who knows if he'd tear down the house or attack me the moment I returned.
Thinking about my rent disintegrating in real-time made me want to cry tears of blood, but there was no place safer than Baek Eunseong's house right now.
A house completely made of stone, one that Baek Jiseong couldn't touch.
A place where Baek Gyeongmin frequently visited of his own accord despite Baek Jiseong telling him not to, allowing me to threaten Baek Jiseong at any time.
On top of that, I could earn a year's salary just by lazing around for a month, so why would I leave?
Just like that, our negotiations broke down, and Baek Jiseong started obsessing over Baek Gyeongmin's safety to an excessive degree. It seemed like he was dropping hints not to come visit his house, but Baek Gyeongmin didn't care and consistently came over, even with a swarm of bodyguards in tow.
After Baek Gyeongmin left, I, who had offered my lap to Baek Hamin as he dozed off on the sofa, stared blankly at Baek Eunseong putting on his cloak.
"See you later."
"Um, yes."
I turned my gaze away from Baek Eunseong, who was awkwardly greeting me, and called upon Asil at a sudden thought. I wasn't the least bit curious about where Baek Eunseong was going, but if I didn't follow him this time either, Baek Jiseong might kick me out, asking why I wasn't following him even after he gave me a dungeon access pass.
The front door closed, and soon the sound of a car starting up outside was heard. I moved Baek Hamin to the room and laid him on the bed, then checked Asil. The golden threads gathered together to create a holographic map, showing where Baek Eunseong was. The place Baek Eunseong had arrived at wasn't too far from the house.
Hah, he should have at least made an excuse and gone far, far away. Sighing, I opened the closet and grabbed a hood made from the Baekwoo Guild's cloak.
"Uncle...?"
Perhaps awakened by the slight commotion, Baek Hamin opened the door and came out with a face full of sleep. Seeing me getting ready to go out, he quickly ran back into the room and came out carrying a fanny pack.
"You're not sleeping more?"
Baek Hamin tried to put on the fanny pack with his eyes barely open, stuck his arm through the wrong hole, and looked up at me with a tearful face.
"Hamin wants to go too..."
"Then can you suppress your energy?"
Tilting his head at my words, Baek Hamin easily reduced his presence without any help. I told you he's an unprecedented genius. Clicking my tongue, I tucked Baek Hamin under my arm and stepped out the front door.
When I arrived at the place following Asil, Baek Eunseong was standing there with a bored expression. Taking a spot far away so as not to be noticed, Baek Hamin, who had been giggling that it was like playing detective, asked.
"Uncle, the Guild Master is sealing the dungeon, right? Then why did a Dungeon Break happen?"
"Someone intentionally triggered that."
I pointed at the fist-sized core rolling around near Baek Eunseong. The smaller the core, the smaller the dungeon. Rather than pushing a raid party into there, it was more efficient to intentionally stimulate it and induce a Dungeon Break.
"I seeee. But why is Uncle Eunseong alone?"
"Yang Jihyuk and Gwak Junyeong are behind him."
"There are only two of them."
Baek Hamin stopped taking out a jelly snack from his bag and muttered, "The Guild Master moves in a team..." as he gauged my reaction.
"Why? Eat it."
"Yeah... Do you want some too, Uncle?"
I chewed the jelly that Baek Hamin put in my mouth as I observed Baek Eunseong. Just like Baek Eunseong, who was moving his fingertips with a bored face, his golems were also moving sluggishly.
What is it? Why is he moving so inefficiently? Wasn't Baek Eunseong's combat style originally about swift resolution?
It was the moment I tilted my head. Baek Eunseong suddenly raised his head and looked straight in this direction. Bastard, his eyes are sharp too. While I was clicking my tongue, Baek Eunseong bloomed a bright smile like a flower.
I watched the guy hopping up the stairs he created, then brushed off my butt and stood up. Reaching me in no time, Baek Eunseong wore that cotton-candy-like smile again.
"What, why are you smiling like that?"
"Just... um, I was waiting, and I'm glad you came."
There's plenty to be happy about in this world.
Anyway, I suppressed my energy as much as possible, so how did he know? I crossed my arms and stood askance. Did I make a mistake somehow?
"Because your energy is so unique...?"
I didn't even ask anything, but Baek Eunseong, who answered while gauging my reaction, dropped his gaze mid-sentence. What, is it unique or not?
Making me curious, Baek Eunseong clammed up as if it was nothing and created stairs going down.
"So, what brings you here?"
"Your brother sent me."
At my words, Yang Jihyuk, who was pretending not to see me from afar, sucked in a sharp breath. Baek Eunseong's secretary also widened his eyes, looking back and forth between me and Baek Eunseong. Even Baek Hamin's body, held in my arms, stiffened, but Baek Eunseong and I continued our conversation with faces as usual.
"How many are there?"
"217. Don't tell me you're going to say you'll kill more again?"
"That's right."
I snapped my fingers as I answered. As the volcanic spiders, hit by 'Splash Splash', fell with their legs curled up, golems tumbled out from under Baek Eunseong's feet.
"Let's finish this quickly and go home."
"Home..."
Repeating my words and muttering, Baek Eunseong nodded while maintaining his earlier smile. Then he turned to look at me.
"Would you like to make a bet? On who kills more?"
Oh ho, look at this guy. As I was laughing in disbelief, Baek Eunseong nodded while looking at Baek Hamin, who was rolling up his sleeves, saying he would participate too.
"If Hamin wins, um, um. Jajang ramen for me!"
"Teaching the kid good things. I'll have jajangmyeon."
"And I..."
Trailing off, Baek Eunseong smiled meaningfully.
"Extend Hunter Seong Dohyeon's contract by one more month."
"Hey. Don't you think the stakes are a bit off?"
"A hunter doesn't go back on his word."
"No, but..."
"If you're dissatisfied... you just have to kill more than me."
I looked at the golems pouring out from under Baek Eunseong's feet and let out a hollow laugh. A hunter optimized for close-quarters skills trying to beat a wide-area hunter? I stared at the backs of the golems rushing toward the volcanic spiders and clapped my hands loudly.