Volume 1, Episode 22
022
Ziiing.
The Gate shimmered with blue energy.
Thud. Thud.
The Hunters inside—the raid members of Black Hog—began to exit.
"This Gate ended just as quickly as the last one."
They had finished clearing the Gate.
"Right? At this rate, won't we set a record someday?"
Just as the raid members were walking out and exchanging small talk.
Thud. Thud.
The man walking at the very front of the raid members.
"Hoo."
Lee Seojun let out a short breath and organized his gains from this Gate.
'No matter how many monsters I hunt, I can't gain experience points.'
He had cleared a higher-level Gate than before—a B-rank Gate.
In this place, Lee Seojun had practically massacred monsters, but just like before, he had failed to acquire experience points.
Moreover, with even Fusion not working now, it was true that his growth had come to a halt.
Heh.
But unlike before, when he had gained nothing, this time there were results.
'Status Window.'
----------
Name: Lee Seojun
Class: King of Lumer
Level: 3 (1st Awakening: Incomplete Horn)
*Most of the body's abilities are sealed.
[Stats]
Strength: 75
Agility: 66
Stamina: 70
Mana: 70
----------
His level had risen.
Because of that, some of the stats that had been adjusted downward were partially released.
The hypothesis that levels rose by acquiring experience points was wrong.
The way Lee Seojun could level up was at the very bottom of the status window.
[Synchronization]
Another value that had appeared upon leveling up.
It was called Synchronization.
This body now belonged not to him, but to Aion.
'Does the synchronization value rise as I move this body and grow accustomed to it?'
That's when his level had risen without even hunting monsters like that.
There was another change because of that.
[Skill][Fusion Lv. 2]
The reason he had been able to survive on the planet Lumer.
The skill level of Fusion—his own ability, not that of the body's owner, Aion—had risen.
'I'll have to check it out in a bit.'
This seemed like something to check later.
Because it seemed he had to finish things properly here before it was all wrapped up.
"Good work, everyone."
The raid leader, Yun Hyeongi, spoke to the gathered raid members.
"Thanks to all of you following along well, our 12th Raid Party has successfully completed our second Gate clearance."
Whoosh.
Yun Hyeongi pointed at the items laid out on the ground with his finger.
"Since the Gate rank was higher than last time, a larger sum will be deposited into each of your accounts."
What he pointed to were the basic items obtainable from a B-rank Gate.
Fire Golem cores, enhancement stones, and so on.
Swoosh.
The raid members' gazes turned toward the items on the ground.
Once again, the most important item among those laid out was missing.
The magic stone—the thing that could be sold for a high price among those—was missing.
"Here."
Yun Hyeongi handed that magic stone to Lee Seojun as if it were only natural.
Lee Seojun tucked the purple-glowing magic stone into his chest.
All the raid members present watched this scene.
However.
Unlike before, this time no one denied that scene.
They too had expressions as if it were natural, just like Yun Hyeongi.
They had adapted as if by a lie—inconceivably quickly.
They didn't complain about the Gate being cleared with Lee Seojun as the focus, and they moved according to Lee Seojun and Yun Hyeongi's words.
'—They probably think they've latched onto the right wagon.'
They acknowledged and accepted it.
It was because of the skills Lee Seojun had shown.
Just as the reward distribution was in full swing.
"Excuse me."
A support department Hunter who had collected the Hunters' personal belongings approached and spoke to Lee Seojun.
"Your phone kept ringing while you were clearing the Gate. I had no choice but to..."
Lee Seojun took the phone as if snatching it.
—Porfo.
The name of the slave he had acquired on the planet Lumer.
Hundreds of missed calls were marked from it.
'...'
Very few knew this number.
That was why an ominous feeling crept up his spine.
Then, at that moment.
Dr-r-ring.
The phone rang again.
—Porfo.
The name displayed on the phone screen.
"Speak."
Lee Seojun pressed the call button and answered.
Then.
"—Where have you been? Something terrible has happened."
A sobbing voice flowed from beyond the phone.
"—Juwon hyung... has been kidnapped."
It was Lee Hyeonu's voice.
* * *
"I believe I said it wasn't necessary."
Lee Seojun spoke with an expressionless face.
"It's my concern."
Yun Hyeongi, who was beside him, said.
Then, at that moment.
Screech.
The van carrying the Tirion Guild raid party slowly braked and came to a stop.
They had arrived at their destination.
"If it were last time, I would have been fine with something happening to you instead..."
Yun Hyeongi, who had a weakness seized by Lee Seojun.
If something had happened to Lee Seojun and he disappeared, there would have been nothing to lose.
"But now, the contract deposit has already been paid. If anything happens to you, it's a big problem."
The contract deposit—that was the astronomical sum Lee Seojun had paid with the black card he had given him.
Lee Seojun turned his head at Yun Hyeongi's words.
"Do as you please."
"But..."
Yun Hyeongi fixed his gaze on the place visible beyond the open door, making a puzzled face.
"Why did we come here?"
The sign visible ahead.
"..."
"Don't tell me. Were you a Resolution Office person?"
Samil Resolution Office.
Yun Hyeongi asked with a tone mixed with surprise and puzzlement, but...
"What? Let's go together."
Lee Seojun got out of the car without answering the question, as if annoyed.
Yun Hyeongi also got out and followed him.
Clomp. Clomp.
Lee Seojun entered the Samil Resolution Office without hesitation, probing with his energy sense.
Thump. Thump.
Inside, only the sound of something tapping echoed throughout the space.
Swoosh.
Lee Hyeonu was sitting there, focusing on the source of the noise while fiddling with a tablet.
"Lee Hyeonu."
Lee Seojun approached him and spoke.
Thump. Thump.
But Lee Hyeonu was so focused that he didn't hear.
He kept touching the tablet with a serious expression.
"Lee Hyeonu."
When Lee Seojun opened his mouth again.
"Y-You're here?"
Lee Hyeonu answered, startled.
Lee Hyeonu's face was completely worn out, showing how much he had struggled while Lee Seojun was clearing the Gate.
"Kim Juwon was kidnapped?"
"But... who is that?"
Lee Hyeonu, directing his gaze toward Yun Hyeongi.
"It's fine, so speak."
At Lee Seojun's words, Lee Hyeonu nodded and opened his mouth.
"There were people targeting the Samil Resolution Office."
The Daeyeong Resolution Office, which Lee Hyeonu had asked to register Lee Seojun's personal information.
The Haesin Resolution Office, which was considered fairly major among resolution offices and led by B-rank Hunter Lee Yeongwon.
Both had been erased from the world by Lee Seojun.
And there were resolution offices connected to those two.
"I didn't leave much evidence, but word travels fast in this world. I scattered it well, but still..."
"The problem was last time, because of Kim Seungmin."
"Your identity was revealed while purchasing the contract. I had to buy it in a hurry so I couldn't handle it properly..."
While Lee Hyeonu was bowing his head deeply and speaking.
"W-What?"
Yun Hyeongi's pupils widened greatly.
"Contract? So that's where you spent all that money..."
"Shut up."
Yun Hyeongi closed his mouth at Lee Seojun's words.
"Continue."
"When he went out alone, I got a call from Juwon hyung. I thought he was asking me to buy something, so I answered, but for a long time, I didn't hear anything. So I was about to hang up thinking it was a wrong call, but at that moment..."
An explosion rang out, along with Kim Juwon's scream.
And shortly after.
"I heard the voices of two unknown men. So I thought something was strange and ran straight to the office, but Juwon hyung was already..."
As if frustrated, Lee Hyeonu's clenched fist was trembling slightly.
"So who was it."
"It was Urim."
The moment Lee Hyeonu answered Lee Seojun's question.
"...!"
Yun Hyeongi beside him had a shocked expression.
* * *
"Urim."
If there are the Three Great Guilds in the Republic of Korea, then in the underground world, there are the Seven Great Merchants.
Among them, Urim was not included in the Seven Great Merchants, but it was judged to be a place that would be able to place its name among the Seven Great Merchants after some time.
Gulp.
Lee Hyeonu swallowed dryly.
"The president of Urim Resolution Office is..."
He told Lee Seojun the information he had gathered.
As Lee Hyeonu's words ended.
"Damn it."
Yun Hyeongi cursed.
"Even I can't touch Urim."
At those words, Lee Seojun's gaze turned toward Yun Hyeongi.
A reproachful gaze, as if he were useless.
"It's not Tirion. If it were the elders, it wouldn't matter, but I don't have a proper foundation yet."
Yun Hyeongi said with an annoyed tone.
"Behind Urim is Rium."
"Rium."
Although it was not one of the Three Great Guilds, it was a fairly sizable guild.
They had extended their hands considerably into large corporations and political circles.
"I heard the Rium Guild leader's son set up a seat this time. Go attend it."
The order from his father, the Tirion Guild leader.
"They say the children of political and business figures are all gathering there. Go show your face. I don't need to tell you what this means, right?"
"Yes, Father."
"Right. It's about time for you, the youngest, to learn as well. Let's see just how capable you are with this opportunity."
So he had attended personally.
And he had seen.
"These days, the resolution offices are making quite a scene, so we're quite worried as well."
"We feel the same. But since they are outside our domain..."
"Don't worry. Don't we have Rium?"
Resolution offices—the world of shadows—were something even they could not handle as they pleased.
Because there was an unspoken rule to let them resolve matters among themselves.
'It's impossible.'
That was why it was impossible for now.
This was outside his domain.
In his current position, touching Urim was impossible.
If nothing else, he had to step back this time.
Swoosh.
The moment Yun Hyeongi looked at Lee Seojun with a troubled face.
"So?"
Unexpected words flowed from Lee Seojun's mouth.
"What?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Lee Seojun opened his mouth with an expressionless face.
"I'm going my way. I believe I told you there's no need for you to get involved."
He finished speaking again and completed his preparations.
"..."
Yun Hyeongi couldn't say anything to Lee Seojun like that.
He merely stared blankly.
Swoosh.
After that, Lee Seojun didn't even give Yun Hyeongi a glance.
"Do you know where he is?"
His gaze was fixed on Lee Hyeonu.
"Yes."
Lee Hyeonu quickly got up from his seat and brought something.
Tap. Tap.
It was a small mechanical device of a size that could fit in one hand, looking almost like a phone.
Lee Hyeonu quickly tapped the device's screen and held it out to Lee Seojun.
"Here."
A red-stained dot appearing on the screen.
It was Kim Juwon's location.
"I attached a location tracker."
"Did you attach one to me too?"
Lee Seojun's narrowed eyes turned toward Lee Hyeonu.
"I don't want to die yet."
Lee Hyeonu said, waving his hands at that.
"Good job."
With that reply, Lee Seojun put the device into his chest and immediately stood up from his seat.
Thud. Thud.
Lee Seojun, about to leave the Samil Resolution Office.
And.
"Damn it."
In the end, Yun Hyeongi also stood up from his seat.
"I'm going with you."
The greatest villain of all time had returned.