Hwang Gyeongryong was right. Huntersâ¦
Many of them were crazy. He didnât know if becoming a hunter made them crazy or if they were already that way long before, but it was a definite fact. Among those hunters were people who got drunk on their own abilities and those who fought regardless of what happened.
Hwang Gyeongryong was one of the worldâs leading hunters and one of the most powerful men in the United States, but that didnât mean he could do everything at will. On the contrary, there was a high possibility that the other clan would make a fuss and say something like, âHwang Gyeongryong is trying to devour our clan! That greedy chairman!â
âIf Hyung had been nicer, the other party wouldâve likely accepted your request if you put in one...â
Choi Yeonseung looked at Hwang?Gyeongryong?with sadness in his eyes. It had been a while since he had come to Earth. In that time span, he had figured out how to search for things on his phone. He searched for what image Hwang Gyeongryong had among the people.
-Hwang Gyeongryong, a greedy and heartless capitalist. Building a giant corporate group...
-From the best hunter to the richest man. How did Hwang Gyeongryong acquire the companies?
-Hwang Gyeongryong divorced again... How much alimony will it be?
His character could be roughly summed up as an extremely powerful hunter and incredibly greedy chairman who had remarried an unbelievable amount of times! Hence, even if Hwang Gyeongryong just spoke, the opposing clan would shout âUwaaaaah!â
âYou should try running a business so youâll understand how hard it is!â
âWhy should I? Thatâs nonsensical.â
Choi Yeonseung laughed and Hwang Gyeongryong inwardly decided.
âThis jerk... I should entrust an affiliate of the group to him. Iâll make sure he has a difficult time as a president.â
Hwang Gyeongryong was already making vague plans for the future. Choi Yeonseung was a B-grade hunter right now, but if he kept being active and slaying monsters, it would only be a matter of time before he became an A-grade hunter. The moment he did, Choi Yeonseung would be treated as a strategic weapon and one of the most important people in existence. Heâd be seen as the countryâs strategic asset, an irreplaceable talent, and a key person who could never be let go!
That was what an A-grade hunter was. Upon reaching that rank, the country and media would start supporting him intensely to ensure he wouldnât go to another country. People who had never experienced it wouldnât know, but the praise A-rankers received was on a genuinely different level! It was divine!
-During his childhood, A-rank Hunter Kim XX was already intelligent. He had also already helped all the townspeople...
-Kim XX didnât leave any teammates alone during the raid...
-Why is the world horrified by Hunter Kim XX? It should be stunned by his skills!
The A-grade hunters used this reputation to do whatever they wanted to do. Hwang Gyeongryong entered the raid industry and created an enormous group. On the other hand, Lee Changsik took an advisory role in nurturing and coaching young Korean hunters. Some became movie stars or researched magic...
People didnât care what the hunters did. On the contrary, they cheered for the hunters. They could do anything if they were an A-grade hunter! Such qualification and status came with that rank. That was why Hwang Gyeongryong was waiting for Choi Yeonseung to reach it
âThe moment he becomes an A-grade hunter, heâs finished!â
If he threw a company to Choi Yeonseung now and made him the president, there would be an uproar in the other group affiliates.
What are you thinking? Entrusting the position of president to someone who hadnât been on Earth for so long? Are you running the group based on friendship...
The media, shareholders, company members, and more would bite at him! Of course, Hwang Gyeongryong didnât care about that at all. However, he didnât want to put such a bad image on Choi Yeonseung. Choi Yeonseung had to be a hero that was unlike Hwang Gyeongryong!
âIf he becomes an A-grade hunter, no one will say anything if I appoint him as the president.â
-Heâs an A-grade hunter, so it canât be helped. Heâll bring in enough talent.
-He got parachuted in, but what about it? Heâs an A-grade hunter. His being part of the company makes sense.
Everyone would be convinced if he had such a high rank. That showed how valuable it was!
âKukukuk... Stupid guy. You just have to rise to be an A-grade hunter, and I willââ
âHyung. Why are you smiling so wickedly?â
âI-Iâm not? When did I?â Hwang Gyeongryong quickly denied it.
âIn any case, we canât just leave this be. You have to go and convince them.â
âUm... Itâll probably be better for you to go instead,â Hwang Gyeongryong said after momentarily hesitating.
âWhy?â
âWell⦠If I go, my intentions will be questioned.â
â......â
He made a fair point. Hwang Gyeongryongâs status was so high that the moment he went, the clan over there would become suspicious.
Choi Yeonseung clicked his tongue. âI understand. Should I handle this instead, then?â
âThat would give us a better chance at succeeding. You are a rookie hunter who had just joined the Icarus clan. They will be less suspicious of you.â
If Choi Yeonseung went, there was a high possibility that the other party wouldnât suspect that Hwang Gyeongryong was planning something. They would just think that a hunter had come.
âIf you go there and they donât listen...â
âWhat then?â
âIsnât that obvious? Of course, Iâll start a war,â Hwang Gyeongryong declared coldly. âIâll prepare all the hunters that can be mobilized, send a request to the government to have proper justification, attack Las Vegas, and wipe out the clan there. What else is there to do?â
That was a bloody alternative. Hwang Gyeongryong was just joking around, but he wasnât above such a method! Hwang Gyeongryong was a 1st generation hunter and had gone through hundreds of bloody battles since the great invasion. He refused to let the monsters rampage due to the stubbornness of other hunter clans.
If you donât listen, then Iâll just have to make you through force!
Choi Yeonseung understood his meaning and nodded.
âThatâs reassuring, Hyung.â
â... That would cost us a lot of money, though, so try to persuade them in a more peaceful manner if possible.â
The clean-up after a battle between hunters was expensive. They had to talk to the government, be careful not to let the hunters of other clans notice, start with repairs, pay for damages, bribe the media to stop them from ruining their image�It would be best to solve disagreements peacefully if possible.
âUh...â Choi Yeonseungâs voice trailed off. He had been thinking of suppressing the clan with force if they didnât listen...
âWhatâs with that sound you just made?â
"It's nothing. Iâll be back.â
***
Black Cactus was the hunter clan in charge of Las Vegas. They werenât the master of the city like Hwang Gyeongryong, but they had the authority to deal with dungeons and monsters that emerged in its jurisdiction.
That was enough, though. The income from dungeons and monsters and the protection fees paid by companies in Las Vegas turned the Black Cactus into one of the top 100 clans in the United States.
âDid you say... you came from the Icarus clan?â
âYes.â
âCome... this way.â
Under normal circumstances, the employee wouldâve said, âWhat are you standing around here for, bastard?â However, well aware of the Icarus clan, he currently acted politely. A small ace clan raised by Dragon Hwang!
âWhat brings you here?â
A hunter wearing jeans, a leather jacket, and sunglasses came out. He seemed to be a Black Cactus hunter.
âLevel 131 C-grade hunter.â
âI want to meet the clan leader.â
âYou canât just meet the clan leader just because youâre from the Icarus clan. You have to make an appointment.â
âI would like you to make an appointment for me, then.â
âWhy do you want to meet the clan leader?â
âIâll disclose that information when we meet.â
Choi Yeonseungâs words caused a vein to bulge on the hunterâs forehead.
âNo... You think you can do that just because youâre a member of the Icarus clan?â
âNo, Iâm doing this because what I have to say is important and shouldnât leak out. I hope you donât misunderstand.â
However, the other person had already misunderstood. He spat on the side, then fiercely said, âGo back. Iâll keep you updated.â
âIs the clan leader not here?â
âNo.â
âYouâre lying.â
Choi Yeonseung noticed the personâs eyes, mouth, and hands were shaking. Mortals couldnât match a constellationâs power of observation.
âAnd how would you know that?â
Armed guards approached as the commotion grew. They werenât hunters, but guns had always been reliable weapons.
âYouâre quite cocky. Whatâs your name?â
âChoi Yeonseung of the Icarus clan. I am a B-grade hunter.â
âChoi Yeonseung... Huh? Choi Yeonseung? â the hunter asked, surprised.
â?â
Choi Yeonseung was even more puzzled. He didnât know the noisy hunter in front of him. Why was this person pretending to know him?
âChoi Yeonseung, the one who?faced Maximilian?in the UHC? Wow, â â ! It is you, right?! Iâm sorry about this. Asian people are hard to tell apart.â
âI also find it hard to tell white people apart, so it doesnât matter.â
Carlton laughed. It didnât matter if Choi Yeonseung seemed rude. He had every right to be.
âYour match was the best. I didnât go to the stadium because Maximilian is such a boring guy, but I regretted it. I shouldâve seen it in person!â
âMr. Carlton, are you okay?â
âOf course Iâm fine! Even if I wasnât, none of you wouldâve stood a chance against this guy if he decided to attack us!â
Carltonâs words made the guards look perplexed. Why did he do this to them? They were just doing their jobs...
âDonât bother the guards.â
âOh⦠So cool. The weight contained in your words isnât a joke. Does learning martial arts give you this type of presence?â
âNo. It isnât martial arts. Itâs simply a difference in mindset.â
âWatching that match made me want to practice martial arts. A few people in our clan said the same thing.â
Choi Yeonseung was honestly surprised. It was only one match, and it was honestly more like an execution. Nevertheless, it had such a great impact. He realized how great of a market the UHC was.
âSo, is the clan leader inside?â
âHaha... Iâm sorry. She is. Please understand. So many bastards visit her that she gets angry when dealing with them one by one.â
Hunters were visited by all types of people. The higher their rank, the more visitors they had. Hence, they naturally blocked out unimportant guests. Carlton pulled out his phone and sent a message. After a while, he nodded. âYou can come in. Letâs go. Wait. I have to check my clothes.â
Carlton looked in the mirror next to him and checked his hair and clothes. There was no significant difference in his appearance in Choi Yeonseungâs eyes, but...
âHow about it? Do I look okay?â
âMuch better than before.â
"Kuhaha! Really? Thank you. As expected, you have good eyes!â
*** n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âYou â â . What the â â â is that?â
âI-Iâm sorry!â
Carlton froze and lowered his head.
âDo you think youâre great just because youâre a hunter? Are you out of your â â mind? Will you be able to pay for it if your appearance offends the customers and make them leave, you bastard?â
âIâm sorry! I thought it would be okay since Iâm inside!â
Roxanne, clan leader of Black Cactus, often mixed in curse words when she spoke.
âLevel 288! Sheâs useful.â
Choi Yeonseung was impressed by her level. It was worthy of her reputation as a B+ grade hunter.
Roxanne glanced at Choi Yeonseung. She had curly hair and dark smokey makeup, and her looking at someone was enough to immensely pressure them.
âIâm curious. What brought someone from the Icarus clan here?â
âUm...â
âItâs okay, feel free to speak your mind and just get straight down to business.â
âAlright. I donât think your clan will be able to kill a monster, so I came to help.â
â......â
Thud.
Carltonâs sunglasses fell off. He stared at Choi Yeonseung with terrified eyes.
This man was crazy!