Chapter 148 (1/2)

Su-hyeun paused while unbuttoning his shirt. He turned his gaze to the TV. The news was talking about the Hahoetal Guild and the twin blue-colored dungeons.

“…Hahoetal Guild?”

He hadn’t heard of this before. He thought the Authority was leading the raid. That was Bak Yun-gyu had told him, and that was why he had agreed to help them. But the news report was very different from what Su-hyeun had been told.

-The Hahoetal Guild was the first discoverer of the blue-colored dungeons that appeared near Seorak Mountain recently. They are claiming priority in the attack. On the other hand, the Authority—

There was a conflict between the Authority and the Association. Su-hyeun could figure out what was going on since he knew Gwon Jae-hoon well.

Ring, ring, ring—

The phone rang. It was a call from Bak Yun-gyu. Su-hyeun answered the phone, unbuttoning his shirt again.

“Hello?”

-Hello. Mr. Su-hyeun. We’ve got a little problem.

“Yes. I’m watching the news right now. You’re talking about the Hahoetal Guild claiming ownership of the dungeons, right?

-…Yes. Sorry for the news.

“So, what happened? Doesn’t the Authority have the ownership of the dungeons?”

-That is…

Bak Yun-gyu explained what had been happening so far. In the case of civilian reports, the Authority was supposed to take ownership of the dungeon, but the Hahoetal Guild was stubbornly insisting that they were theirs this time.

“Then what is this news?”

-It looks like the Hahoetal Guild is using the press now. They took action before us.

“But will the Authority just sit back and watch?”

-Gwon Jae-hoon isn’t just the guild master of the Hahoetal Guild. He’s also the president of the Korean Awakeners Association. And he’s acquainted with several large guilds.

“So, you’re saying that the Authority can’t touch him.”

-Yes.

At this point, Su-hyeun could tell what Bak Yun-gyu wanted.

“I think the Authority has to drop out of this.”

-Are you saying…

“‘veI had trouble with the Hahoetal Guild anyway.” Su-hyeun thought this situation wouldn’t be bad for just him. “This is good.”

Su-hyeun took off his shirt and placed it on the floor, then sat on the couch and watched the TV. On the screen, Gwon Jae-hoon was giving an interview.

-As we are aware of the dangers of dungeons, the Hahoetal Guild is dedicated to the safety of the people—

He was spouting bullsh*t. Su-hyeun looked at the TV screen silently for a moment with a cold smile on his lips. Su-hyeun wasn’t personally acquainted with Gwon Jae-hoon, but he knew well what kind of person he was. Gwon Jae-hoon was simple but calculating. And he was definitely capable of making a good show of himself. His true colors were very different from what he was showing on TV.

-Mr. Su-hyeun?

At Bak Yun-gyu’s question, Su-hyeun asked. “Is the Hahoetal Guild going into the dungeons tomorrow?”

-The Authority hasn’t approved it yet. We were going to give you priority in targeting the dungeons.”

“Then leave them for now.”

-Yes?

Bak Yun-gyu asked in an embarrassed voice, wondering if he had heard wrong. He thought Su-hyeun would be embarrassed since things had gotten complicated. But, instead, he was glad about it.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

-Oh, I see. Okay, then…

At Bak Yun-gyu’s answer, Su-hyeun hung up the phone. Su-hyeun was looking forward to the next day.

<<Hahoetal Guild and Gwon Jae-hoon…>>

Su-hyeun sat on the sofa and closed his eyes quietly, thinking about those names.

***

“Thanks for your work, Producer Jeong. I’m so sorry for contacting you this late at night.”

“No, no. You’re fine. We appreciate it. We can’t miss such a scoop, you know.”

Gwon Jae-hoon, who had finished an urgent interview late at night, thanked the broadcasting staff. This live news broadcast was hurriedly made at Gwon Jae-hoon’s report. The appearance of the twin blue-colored dungeons was shocking enough to shake up the news coverage.

“Then, I’ll see you next time.”

“Yes. Take care.”

Gwon Jae-hoon’s expression quickly changed as he walked out of the TV station. He had smiled the whole time he was inside. But now, he was expressionless. He got in the car. Inside, Yun Jae-ho, the executive of the Hahoetal Guild, was waiting for him.

“I got a message from the members who went to Kim Dae-ho.”

“Why were they so late? I was thinking about going there myself after the interview.”

“Sir… There was a reason why they were late.”

“I don’t want to hear excuses. Drag those bastards to me right now. I’ll set an example—”

“Kim Su-hyeun was there.”

At Yun Jae-ho’s answer, Gwon Jae-hoon wondered if he had heard the right name. “Who?”

“Kim Su-hyeun. You know? The winner of the Ranking Wars…”

“Why would he be here? He should be in San Francisco. If you’re trying to lie, at least make it more believable—”

“The second team said the same name. Moreover, there wouldn’t be many awakeners in the world who could knock Kyung-taek out with one hit.”

“What? Kyung-taek was knocked out?”

That was undoubtedly reliable evidence. Yun Jae-ho started to worry about Gwon Jae-hoon, whose face fell. But he had to continue

“They said Kim Su-hyeun warned us. If we go to see Kim Dae-ho again, we’ll have a war with him.”

“That crazy bastard…”

Gwon Jae-hoon’s eyes widened at Su-hyeun’s provocative warning. But he couldn’t just ignore his wishes. Kim Su-hyeun was special. He had defeated the famous Gordon Rohan and won the Ranking Wars. That meant he had enough ability and power to defeat any large guilds by himself.

<<No. Maybe he’s more than that.>>

But still, Gwon Jae-hoon’s pride hurt to just step back at Kim Su-hyeun’s command. Gwon Jae-hoon struggled between profit and pride. Of course, it wasn’t a long-term concern.

“Just hold off then. We might fight Kim Su-hyeun later, but not now.”