Chapter 156 (1/2)
Chapter 156: Chapter 156
“First, it’s to check out the rubbish you were planning to spew about me, and then….”
The ‘rubbish spewing’ bit caused Gwon Ho-yeong to frown deeply.
BUt Su-hyeun didn’t pay any mind to his reaction and continued, “Second, it’s to separate friends from foes.”
“Separate friends from foes??”
“To figure out who are my enemies and who are my allies. Or, if I am to get more specific…” Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes and scanned the audience members. “To figure out how far the rot has spread.”
A few flinched at those words and began avoiding his gaze.
No one was stupid enough to not know what he meant by this point. Everyone in the association clearly understood the intent behind the ‘enemies and allies’ bit, plus the ‘rot’ Su-hyeun had mentioned.
The same applied to the reporters, as well. And it was they who sucked in their breaths the deepest.
<< When he said he’d check out the extent of the rot and separate friends from foes, he… >>
<< He’s going to consider all corrupt guilds like Hahoetal his enemies even if they’re association members? >>
That was an incredible bombshell.
No, in a way, it was rather obvious. Because it also implied that he’d be friendly towards the righteous folks, but he’d deem the corrupt villains, after all.
But the evil that had grown deep roots in recent years made it seem like such thing was a bombshell. For instance, the current matter involving the Hahoetal Guild was an example.
The world at large wanted to go beyond finger-pointing and cussing to demand that they be classified as criminals right away. Too bad, the inner workings of the awakener world weren’t so simple as that.
The Awakener Authority was worried about a collision with the association, so it chose not to do anything. As for the association, it might have been willing to expel the Hahoetal Guild from its membership, but it also didn’t readily step forward to punish the guilty.
All of these were indeed unfair, but also quite understandable.
The world had come to accept such things as normal, and now they arrived at this moment in time.
An arm was always bound to bend inward.
But now, Su-hyeun was saying this to them.
“I’ll ask again.”
He said that such a thing was wrong.
“How far does it go?”
Gulp-
Just one word, just one casual glance from him; that was all it took to throw everyone’s minds into utter chaos.
This unexpected development also threw Gwon Ho-yeong into an uncontrollable fluster, as well.
<< A-at this rate… No, I can’t be careless and say whatever. >>
Gwon Ho-yeong had initially planned to paint Su-hyeun as an evil villain during this meeting and gather the combined strengths of the association under one united banner.
He wanted to show a united front to the world, and that’s why the reporters had been brought in today.
To tell them that the one at fault was Gwon Jae-hoon, and that the Hahoetal Guild was still standing tall despite everything.
To declare that if Su-hyeun wanted to fight them, then he’d have to fight the whole association.
But now, Su-hyeun had flipped his plan on its head, instead.
-If the association sides with the Hahoetal Guild, then the organization will immediately become the bad guys along with them.
That line of thought floated up in the minds of everyone present. Of course, other thoughts did pop up at the same time, too.
<< Must we get toyed around by some wet-behind-the-ears punk?? >>
<< Even if he’s the winner of the Ranking Wars, how dare this one bastard challenge the entire association all by himself….? >>
They all accepted that Su-hyeun was incredible.
But they still didn’t enjoy this situation one bit. At this rate, it would end up looking like they’d gotten scared by Su-hyeun and couldn’t say a single damn thing.
“No matter how I think about it, you’re not giving us any respect!”
“Are you saying that you’ll punish the entire association or something??”
A handful of guild masters known for their hot tempers shot angry glares in Su-hyeun’s direction. Several others in the audience seats who couldn’t dare to openly say something began nodding their heads at that.
“Punishing, is it…” Su-hyeun pondered for a little while, before nodding as well. “If there are any rotten parts, then sure, that should be done.”
“You insolent little…!”
“With what authority do you dare to punish us?!”
“You’re truly arrogant! Do you really want to wage war against the association?!”
Public sentiment was heading in a weird direction. And one person in the middle of it all was grinning inside. Gwon Ho-yeong.
<< Yes!! >>
He thought that everything was over the moment Su-hyeun showed up. But the story would change if the meeting continued to unfold this way.
What Su-hyeun did by showing up in the conference venue was basically equivalent to baring his fangs at the association itself.
<< If this continues, then Kim Su-hyeun won’t be in conflict with my guild alone, but at odds with the entire association. >>
If that happened, then the ensuing fight would be winnable. No matter how incredible Su-hyeun was, there was simply no way he could consider the whole association as an enemy and massacre its every member.
Especially so, considering that the dungeons still being generated even now would be left unbeaten, if the great framework called the association disappeared and its members decided to keep their collective ‘silence’, as it were.
The Awakener Authority also knew this, which was why they couldn’t do anything to the association.
“You know, an organization that doesn’t want to change even though it’s aware of the corruption, and keeps its silence despite knowing its guilt…” Su-hyeun got up from his seat while staring straight at Gwon Ho-yeong, “….doesn’t deserve to exist.”
The Hahoetal Guild.
Gwon Jae-hoon, who wished to kill Su-hyeun and, in turn, cause a blue-colored dungeon outbreak.
Their wrongdoings weren’t something the association should make excuses for. If the blue-colored dungeon had indeed caused a full-blown outbreak, then the catastrophe that might have ensued would be difficult to even imagine.
That was why Su-hyeun showed up in this place. To confirm with his own two eyes just what kind of a decision the association would make.
He said, “The Hahoetal Guild is still present in this meeting. Not only that, that man’s younger brother is standing there as the association chairman, too.”
“So? What of it?”
A short-tempered middle-aged man got triggered and retorted back, but that only earned him a sharp, piercing glare from Su-hyeun.
“None of you… deserve to live, that’s what.”
Those words opened the floodgates.
“You crazy son of a…!!”
“A young punk who stumbled his way into some power doesn’t know his damn place and decides to run his mouth!!”
Those who’d been suppressed by the weight of Su-hyeun’s fame and had held themselves back shot up from their seats and began rousing their magical energy.
Goh-ooooooh-
The atmosphere within the conference venue deteriorated in an instant. More than half of the audience members bared their fangs at Su-hyeun.
But he smirked, as if he already expected this, and casually addressed them. “Yup, I knew you’d come out like this.”
[Third Eye- Predator]