Chapter 70 (1/2)
Dungeon Break (2)
Hunters gathered in front of the primary dungeon coordinates, which was tagged with Gwacheon 5 dungeon’s name when the gate was opened. The A-Class break response team was formed according to the government’s standards, and those who were assigned as the first line of defense belonged to the top 4 guilds that represented Korea.
“Well, then, we’ll step back to the third line of defense. We are honored!”
After grimly greeting everyone, military officials and the Hunter Management Department personnel all withdrew a few kilometers back. It was inefficient for people, aside from the Awakens, to be mixed in the front line where the wave of monsters would be fought. Furthermore, this time, the gate was going to open in the middle of the city, so they could not adopt the tactic of pushing the area away with modern firepower. As the government estimated the possible risk of both the first line of defense being breached and demolition of Gwacheon city infrastructures, they chose to war using infantry warfare.
With all the non-Awakens backed off, those who gathered to represent the four major guilds stood shoulder to shoulder.
“Activate barrier!”
As soldiers retreated, physical barriers were activated along the line of defense. A circular opaque membrane was formed around the gate.
“There’s an hour left.”
The book of prophecy accurately predicted the opening and collapse time of the gate. Kim Kyung-Rok, the Guild Master of Grand Croix, turned his eyes from the terminal, looked at the man standing in front of him, and spoke privately, away from the ears of the Hunter Management Department.
“Why is that precious son absent this time?”
Immediately the surrounding air got cold. It was a question that everyone had in their heads but refused to speak. The target of Kim Kyung-Rok’s question was Seo Gyu-Cheol, the Guild Master of Celestial Dragon.
However, Seo Gyu-Cheol didn’t bother to respond to him, let alone even turn his eyes to Kim Kyung-Rok. He spoke with an expressionless face to Yoon Ho-Min, the head of the exploration team 1, who stood beside him.
“Go back to our assigned ground. I will do the final check for the barrier myself.”
Kim Kyung-Rok’s face hardened when he realized that he completely ignored him. However, he quickly changed his look and spoke, bearing his teeth.
“Even if you dearly invested in him, did he turn out to be a defective product too shameful to be let out there? You should have had high expectations; you must be disappointed. You must be groaning inside.”
Responding to his words, Seo Gyu-Cheol’s shoulder stopped turning. Kim Kyung-Rok shot his words at him, thinking it was an opportunity.
“What do you do with the title of an SS-rank? You can’t use it for important events like dungeon breaks. What’s the reason this time? Is he still crying about the trauma from the Okcheon accident last time? Or did the father and son throw things and fight, and he left the house again?”
Kim Kyung-Rok, who was well aware of the internal situation, did not know the latest situation.
Then, Seo Gyu-Cheol’s gaze reached Kim Kyung-Rok, and he felt a shiver down his spine without realizing it.
‘…. What the hell. That punk!’
Kim Kyung-Rok has been an archenemy and rival of Seo Gyu-Cheol for decades. He already knew that he was an asshole, which was one reason he hated him… The man in front of him seemed off.
‘His damn eyes!’
However, the strange energy in Seo Gyu-Cheol’s eyes disappeared immediately after some time.
‘What was that just now?’
While Kim Kyung-Rok was baffled, Seo Gyu-Cheol, looked at him without saying anything, opened his mouth.
“Aren’t you the one with defective products? If an S-Ranked veteran of 10 years were sliced by a year old Awakened because he was playing a trick, I’d be ashamed even to come here. Come to think of it; I can’t see him here. Is he still in bed?”
His words were aimed at Kim Ji-Hoon, the younger brother of Kim Kyung-Rok, who had his leg cut during the promotion review of Seo Jin-Wook, as he tried to play a trick on him.
“T-This…!” Kim Kyung-Rok rolled and spat out words like he was chewing them, “The Hunter Management is still investigating the case! Who played what trick on who!” This remark was deliberately spoken aloud, being conscious of the ears of other hunters. Kim Kyung-Rok, who knew the truth of the case, quickly changed the topic as he knew that it would be disadvantageous to talk about, “Huh! You must be sick when you should be selling your son to promote the Celestial Dragon. I heard that there are a lot of A-Ranks who wish to leave these days!”
Kim Kyung-Rok bit down on Celestial Dragon’s personnel management crisis, “In the end, wasn’t the title of ranking the 1st nationally thanks to the rich A-Rank hunter pool? How does it feel like to kick away the only strength of the guild with your doings?”
“Even if we count those A-Ranks left after those bats leave the guild, we still have a lot of them than your group of empty carts, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
After speaking so, Seo Gyu-Cheol turned his back and walked to their territory with Yoon Ho-Min. Kim Kyung-Rok, who was watching the view of his back, wrenched his lips and smiled.
“Let’s wait and see if that happens so.”
*
As Seo Gyu-Cheol walked with Yoon Ho-Min, he quietly asked him, “Did he ever contact you personally?”
It was obvious who he was referring to. Yoon Ho-Min, who secretly met Seo Jin-Wook not long ago, was surprised inside, but shook his head, trying to act calm.
“No? Anyways, we weren’t that close, were we? If he had contacted me, he would have contacted Secretary Kim.”
While Yoon Ho-Min was trying to calm down his surprised heart, another head watched, without engaging in the verbal conflict, but analyzed the situation.
She was the Guild Master of Destructional Blade, Seo Moon-Ga-In. Destructional Blade was the only group among the four major guilds to open up trading areas beyond the Korean black market and material goods to the informational services. Destructional Blade’s special grant was gained through a case in the past.
‘However, the information update on Seo Jin-Wook had been completely cut off for some time.’
The update was completely discontinued because they could not provide false information to its client, Destructional Blade, but could not sell Seo Jin-Wook’s information, which the Senator recognized. However, it was impossible for Seo Moon-Ga-In, who did not even know the Senator’s existence, to infer the truth, and this situation led her to a wild misunderstanding.
‘The reason why it’s not being updated is that they don’t know where it is. Even the black market failed to track Seo Jin-Wook, which meant that he wasn’t in Korea.’
A hunter who had reached the SS-Rank the fastest and a genius who passed all the tests with unprecedented success. Judging only from the known facts, it was enough to have the attention of foreign countries.
‘He must have already been taken by other countries without the Korean government knowing.’
Seo Gyu-Cheol’s recent activities have supported her theory.
‘He should have included his son here if he was in his normal state. If he didn’t, it means that even he can’t control Seo Jin-Wook.’
She turned her head and asked the Assistant Guild Master of the Gates Keepers, who attended instead of the Guild Master.
“I’m just curious.”
“Yes?”
Gate Keepers’ Assistant Guild Master, Lee Dong-Hyun, was a man with a water-like impression. When it seemed that all the duty in the field meeting room was over, he calmly packed his luggage and prepared to leave; he saw Seo Moon-Ga-In with a look of annoyance.
“I heard that the prophecy type dungeon that Seo Jin-Wook Cleared was a gate that you guys were managing? Has he asked you to borrow another again since then?”