Chapter 157 (1/2)
A few days ago.
Bak Yun-gyu gave his answer to Su-hyeun’s question.
“As it stands currently, the Korean Awakener Authority is far behind in influence compared to the association.”
He personally came to visit Su-hyeun’s home, looking as if he had given this matter some serious consideration.
The tale he told was quite detailed and included matters involving the association, the Awakener Authority, plus other guilds as well as the influential awakener groups that acted on their own, separate from the two.
Su-hyeun didn’t pay too much attention to it, though. He already knew most of this.
Not only that…
<< I already know that the association is the problem. >>
While sipping on his coffee, Su-hyeun let Bak Yun-gyu’s words go in one ear and out the other. He was busy organizing his thoughts at that moment.
<< At first, everything was fine. In the beginning, the dungeon’s generation range and region weren’t that wide. However, as time passed, the association’s problems got bigger and harder to rectify. >>
Especially so, from a certain time onward—their problems became even worse as the dungeon’s generation rate accelerated by a great deal.
<< They abandoned dungeons that wouldn’t bring them profit, and, sometimes, even delayed an already-scheduled raid. Or even dumped it on someone else entirely. On the other hand, if a dungeon was deemed profitable and attention-grabbing, they would ignore the Authority’s allocation efforts without hesitation to snatch the raid away from others, or, when things got worse, even tried sabotage. >>
When many people gathered, and lots of money and prestige were thrown into the mix, it only took an instant to turn everything into a muddy swamp. If a few mudfish dirtied the water, then the other fish population wouldn’t have a choice but to adapt to their new environment.
Things up until that point were fine. The number of the awakeners was higher than the rate of dungeon generation, after all. But, when that sudden moment of awakeners being unable to deal with the dungeons arrived…
<< As I thought, the association problem can’t be left alone anymore. >>
When such a time came, the role of the association would become crucial, as it was supposed to operate awakener manpower as efficiently as possible. At the bare minimum, its current course couldn’t be maintained.
<< So, the real issue is with just exactly how far the Authority can interfere, and how far the ripples would spread after I take care of the Hahoetal Guild and the association? >>
Su-hyeun had found himself a perfect pretext. A pretext that allowed him to fight the Hahoetal Guild and, furthermore, even the association itself.
Of course, that would only apply if the association didn’t punish the Hahoetal Guild and instead tried to shield it. If they willingly stepped forward to acknowledge the Hahoetal’s wrongdoings and cast the guild aside, then Su-hyeun wouldn’t be able to intervene anymore.
However, he was feeling confident about this.
<< The Hahoetal Guild won’t be cast aside. >>
He knew how their world operated rather intimately, after all. He knew how hard they worked to keep their world unshakeable, and how united they were through their stubbornness and obstinance.
“In the end, the problem lies with the association itself, doesn’t it?” Su-hyeun asked.
“We need a united force. There’s a reason why both the Authority and the association exist, after all. But….”
“They aren’t under control. Is that it?”
“No, it’s a bit different from that. To begin with, the association was never under the Authority’s control. It was originally created with a mandate to safeguard the rights and interests of the awakeners, and also to get things done in a more effective, efficient manner.”
Su-hyeun also knew the purpose of the association. The problem was that the organization was now working opposite of its original goal.
“Times are changing. The dungeon generation rate is accelerating, and the role of awakeners is directly linked to not just protecting the safety of the civilians, but even the defense of the nation itself,” said Bak Yun-gyu.
He was a soldier. And what he said completely fit his army background. It also aligned pretty closely with what Su-hyeun was thinking, as well.
Which meant that the conversation became easier. He didn’t clear his schedule to meet Bak Yun-gyu only to hear what he already knew.
“Okay. Let’s stop discussing the obvious, and get to the point, please.”
“Up until now, we thought that there was no need to intervene, but…” Bak Yun-gyu hesitated slightly, then spoke with a resolute expression. “Recent events have made us realize the truth. From our point of view, the current association is filled with many issues.”
“Which means….”
“Wouldn’t you say it’s time to clean house, at least once?”
Now that was an answer very much to Su-hyeun’s liking. “I completely agree.”
There was only one way to restrict or control an organization united by power.
With even greater power.
Act 2
The audience remained deathly silent.
In the meantime, the reporters were hurriedly transmitting the articles they had compiled during the chaos. Now that was what an exemplary professional conduct looked like.
<< Well, a suitable atmosphere has been more or less created…. >>
Gwon Ho-yeong, the man leading the meeting had been booted out.
And Su-hyeun stepped onto his position, instead. After suppressing Gwon Ho-yeong with his strength and crushing everyone else with his mere presence alone, too.
The sullen atmosphere was cold and heavy.
The gazes that stuck to Su-hyeun couldn’t be described as nice. Despite fearing him and his strength, the audience members were on high alert, ready to protect themselves at a moment’s notice.
Slap-!
It was then that Lee Ju-ho, who had accompanied Su-hyeun into the conference venue, clapped his hands and drew attention toward himself. “Why don’t we put an end to this combative atmosphere? We also don’t have any plans to go further than this.”
After they heard his words, the audience members stared at Su-hyeun with somewhat relaxed expressions. Those words implied that no one else was going to die.
Su-hyeun nodded his head. But he still didn’t step away from the platform, implying that he wasn’t planning to relinquish the leadership of the meeting just yet.
Lee Ju-ho joined him on the platform and then addressed the audience. “I’d like to ask everyone today a question before we start. What were you planning to do with the Hahoetal Guild?”
“The Hahoetal Guild, is it?”
“W-well, that is….”
Lee Ju-ho’s question caused several in the audience seats to trail off and nervously eye each other. That’s because they all knew that, depending on how that they answered, this place might turn into pandemonium again.
<< If we say that we were planning to shield the Hahoetal Guild today, then…. >>
<< Crazy son of a b*tch. Who’s ballsy enough to say that now, wanting to become enemies with someone like him?? >>
Realistically speaking, there could only be one answer here.
“O-of course, the association as a whole was planning to punish them.”
“I-indeed. Of course. We’re gathered today to discuss the appropriate punishment for the Hahoetal Guild, after all.”
It only took a moment for the overall sentiment to align perfectly when one or two folks opened their mouths.
Not many present were brave enough to stake their lives on prideful words—especially so when the top representative of the Hahoetal Guild, Gwon Ho-yeong, had been basically massacred at Su-hyeun’s hands already.
“In that case, no one’s going to present us with issues, wouldn’t you say? The enemies we talked about are the guilds that don’t hesitate to commit criminal acts like the Hahoetal Guild, you see. If you’re not one of them, then there’s absolutely no problem.”
What Lee Ju-ho said loosened up the tense atmosphere created by Su-hyeun’s actions.
At the very least, the members wouldn’t get to fight Su-hyeun today as long as they didn’t side with the Hahoetal Guild here.
On the other hand, there was another way one could interpret his words, as well.
<< Other guilds that operated with a similar mindset as the Hahoetal Guild will be condemned as well, in other words. >>
If someone else had said such a thing, they would be ridiculed. But their opponent today was on another scale altogether.
Kim Su-hyeun.
He did possess the strength to easily contend with a giant organization like the association all by himself. To make matters worse, he wasn’t even alone.
<< Thomas and Choi Hak-joon stand behind Kim Su-hyeun’s too… >>
<< Three S-Ranked awakeners. And their rankings are…. >>
Was that all? No, maybe even the Authority was involved in this.
At that moment, Lee Ju-ho spoke up.
“Everyone, why don’t we agree on a few rules?”
“Rules?”
“Yes, rules. I’m talking about regulations.”
Everyone looked back, somewhat confused.
Meanwhile, Su-hyeun left everything up to Lee Ju-ho and stepped outside the conference venue, since it was the latter’s role to take care of what was to come next.
<< It’d be nice if the discussion ends on a positive note. >>