Chapter 49: Chapter 49

As Kang Jin-hyuk parted ways with the dwarf and made his way down, he spotted Lucia waiting at the entrance.

Leaning against the wall, she was savoring a piece of candy and immediately fired off a question upon seeing him.

“Did you retrieve what I asked for?”

Kang Jin-hyuk replaced his verbal response with a simple gesture, pulling out the key given to him by the dwarf.

Lucia smiled upon seeing the sparkling key glinting in the light.

“How’s that? I told you it would be handed over as soon as you followed my advice.”

To provoke the proud dwarf into using his hands, all Lucia had to do was incite his stubbornness.

That was her suggested solution, and it yielded successful results.

Even if the dwarf figured out that it was all part of the plan, he wouldn’t be able to simply ignore Lucia’s provocation considering his pride.

“Did I really have to deceive him like this? I could have just asked nicely.”

“Do you really think that little dwarf would have handed the key over willingly?”

“Instead, I could have just asked.”

“If you’d asked, how would you have answered him when he questions how you got the key to the temple?”

Upon hearing Lucia’s retort, Kang Jin-hyuk fell silent.

If it were a dwarf, he would’ve probably figured out that Lucia had tipped him off. That would certainly mean he wouldn’t have handed over the key readily.

“And what’s this about deceiving him? Simply put, things went smoothly just as scripted.”

“Your arrogant head seems to disagree with that conclusion.”

“…How much has it gone up?”

“By one.”

At Kang Jin-hyuk’s raised finger, Lucia scoffed.

“That’s hardly worth noting.”

“Every little bit counts toward a larger whole.”

“What kind of ridiculous analogy is that? Even if it piles up, it stays as mere dust.”

Instead of fretting over trivial numbers, Lucia chastised him to prepare well for the temple.

“It’s because you insisted on being stronger in a short time. If you don’t want to die, then figure things out.”

Seeing Lucia inspecting her sword and bow, she appeared unusually serious.

The usually easy-going Lucia held a grave expression that suddenly put Kang Jin-hyuk on edge.

“Is it really that dangerous?”

“Absolutely. I barely managed to escape with my life last time.”

“When did you go there?”

“It’s because of that magician who tore the dungeon apart and brought it to this dimension. I went once on his request.”

Back then, the dwarf hadn’t given any keys, limiting him to the area near the entrance.

But just reaching that spot had fully conveyed the area’s peril.

“If it’s that dangerous, will I even be able to fight back?”

“No, that’s not how it works.”

Lucia’s ambiguous statement made Kang Jin-hyuk tilt his head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Uniquely, the dungeon adapts its difficulty according to the visitor’s capabilities.”

Being accompanied by an Archmage of an 8-class, Lucia had witnessed monsters with dragon-level powers firsthand.

Recalling those memories sent a shiver down her spine.

“Which is why I will guide you only to that floor. What comes after is up to you.”

“So you expect me to go in alone?”

“If I step in with you, you won’t last even a second.”

That was an undeniable truth.

Despite leveling up significantly and gaining considerable experience, Kang Jin-hyuk felt the gap between him and Lucia remained wide.

The odds of facing her head-on sat at a disturbing zero percent.

The outcome had become painfully obvious, leaving no room for miracles.

Seeing Kang Jin-hyuk grow darker in expression, Lucia playfully patted his back.

“Don’t be cowardly. If you keep your cool, you won’t die.”

“That implies if I become complacent, I’m done for.”

“Isn’t that how fighting works? If you want to grow stronger, you need to take risks.”

Kang Jin-hyuk sighed softly.

He was the one who had wanted to grow stronger, after all.

Complaining now that it would be hard felt far too ugly.

“Fine, dying is the worst that could happen.”

With fire in his eyes, he steeled himself, but Lucia held back the words she wanted to say.

‘It’s better not to mention that dying may bind your soul to suffering.’

As long as he wasn’t dead, answers could always be given later.

Lucia considered it wise to avoid stirring unnecessary trouble.

* * *

Stepping off the plane and onto Korean soil, Seo Sang-ho stretched with a sense of elation.

Having broken free from a mission that seemed endless, he felt as if he could soar.

“Keep your expressions in check in front of the cameras.”

The secretary who came to greet him looked weary, her eyes resembling those of someone deprived of sleep for days.

Seo Sang-ho’s hasty return left more than a few issues for her to resolve within the guild.

“Officially, you’re returning because the opposing guild made undue accusations against Korean hunters, so act like you’re mad.”

“That’s easy enough for me.”

“I’m glad to hear that. The next bit is a little more challenging.”

The secretary presented him with numerous papers she had brought in a briefcase.

Seeing the hefty stack reminded Seo Sang-ho of a textbook, and his expression whitened in response.

“I relayed the situation during the flight, so you should be able to memorize it quickly, right?”

“Isn’t this too intense for immediate action?”

“Given the situation, what else could we do?”

While Seo Sang-ho had been away from Korea, enormous changes had taken place.

The seemingly untouchable top-tier guild, Tyrant, was perceived to be engaging in such reckless activities.

As a result, Altron Guild was enjoying a season of prosperity without any rivals.

“It’s concerning that ‘Jo Won-cheol’ is remaining still…”

“According to the information we received, he’s focusing on securing the area.”

“Can he really keep that up with his executive members all scattered?”

To act against numerous major guilds reflects the prowess of a well-regarded S-class hunter.

“That reckless guy might not run a riot considering the circumstances are so dire.”

“If he shows any weakness, hyenas will pounce from all sides.”

“Tsk, he should’ve behaved himself more gracefully.”

It was evident from the remarks that Jo Won-cheol was feeling inferior as he lost ground to Altron.

However, Seo Sang-ho believed that as long as he operated under the name ‘hunter,’ he wouldn’t cross certain lines.

Or so he had thought.

However, in this situation, the lines had already been crossed, shredding everything in sight.

“The audacity, really monstrous inventiveness.”

Up until now, only countries where human rights had been obliterated, such as Somalia, had attempted to artificially create such items.

The moment attention was drawn, the United Nations would swoop in to crush such endeavors.

Jo Won-cheol certainly had not forgotten about the devastation inflicted on Somalia.

“‘Greed invites disaster,’ so they say, and he’s certainly demonstrating that nicely.”

“You must be cautious as well.”

“Why should I? Which leading guild adapts to the benefit of others more than mine?”

If this incident had been disclosed under the title of Titan, he could have legitimized it to absorb the territory of Tyrant.

Yet Seo Sang-ho opted to announce it anonymously, fearing it might escalate to war.

Had this been any other guild, they wouldn’t have gone so far.

Regardless of whether the city turned into a battlefield.

As long as it brought benefits to the guild, they would show no hesitance in committing acts of desperation.

Thus, the secretary deeply respected Seo Sang-ho in her heart.

“When’s the press conference?”

“I told you it’s tomorrow several times.”

“Isn’t that too tight? Can’t we simply hold a welcome party today instead?”

“Given the unrest in public sentiment, is that really wise?”

If he planned to change schedules, he should’ve mentioned it days beforehand. Declaring things last-minute would inconvenience many.

Knowing this, Seo Sang-ho could only lament.

“Why don’t you skip your busy schedule to participate while I can’t?”

“I’m a secretary, while you’re the protagonist of the welcome party. Our positions aren’t the same.”

“Fine, I concede.”

As soon as Seo Sang-ho returned home, a mountain of tasks awaited him: attending the welcoming ceremony, preparing for the press conference, and dealing with stalled paper processing.

Facing the relentless assault of monsters abroad was nothing compared to this.

At least here, he could rest, so he decided to accept his obligations without grumbling.

After sending off the secretary who was off to meet a representative from their supplier, Seo Sang-ho settled into the waiting car.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Seo Sang-ho smiled lightly at the driver’s warm greeting.

“Why would I complain? You all have faced the real struggle preventing a war.”

While other major guilds eagerly awaited this opportunity, his goal was clear: to avoid colliding with other guilds entirely.

It was evident many guild members were unhappy with the defensive strategy, yet they adhered to Seo Sang-ho’s orders, for which he was grateful.

“Here we are.”

Seo Sang-ho gazed at the luxurious hotel that stood before them.

“Did you really rent out such an extravagant place? Doesn’t that feel excessive?”

“It’s the day the guild leader returns, so surely, this level of preparation is necessary, right?”

“If you waste too much of the budget just on this, it will lead to the guild’s bankruptcy.”

The guild manager, Han Young-seok, was known to grumble about the diminishing income.

Seeing him go all-out like this felt odd, almost surreal.

Seo Sang-ho stepped through the entrance of the hotel while grappling with the sense of disparity.

Riding up in the elevator, he noticed someone waiting at the entrance of the event hall, causing him to chuckle softly.

“That person feels out of place.”

Han Young-seok stepped forward, bowing upon acknowledgment of Seo Sang-ho’s arrival.

“Welcome. The preparation for the welcoming ceremony has just been completed.”

“Really? Usually, it takes over an hour past my arrival to get everything ready.”

“That’s how it ought to be, improvement comes with time, doesn’t it?”

Han Young-seok guided Seo Sang-ho to his seat, beaming cheerfully, and poured his favorite brand of wine into the glass.

“Please wait patiently, the event will begin shortly.”

“Alright, take your time.”

Finding it hard to reconcile with Han Young-seok, who had behaved so gently, Seo Sang-ho felt a strange sense of discomfort.

‘Has he changed his mind about me?’

Perhaps through the chaos of fierce inner conflict, he began to understand that keeping people’s safety was better than fighting for profit.

Relaxing and savoring the wine, Seo Sang-ho scanned the area, suddenly feeling a foreign vibe.

‘Hold on, something feels… weird.’

He noticed that every visible character around him clustered solely around Han Young-seok’s faction.

Had this arrangement been intentional?

As suspicion sprouted in his mind, he suddenly sensed an odd ache start at his throat.

“Ah! What the hell!”

By the time he recognized the situation and flung away the glass, it was already too late.

The wine prepared by Han Young-seok had already slipped down his throat, and even if he tried to vomit it now, the effects were already taking hold.

Watching his hands and feet tremble uncontrollably, Seo Sang-ho gritted his teeth in frustration.

“What the hell are you bastards trying to pull?!”

“Oh, we’re very much aware, don’t worry.”

Just as he realized the impending danger, Han Young-seok returned, walking back to the scene with a group of other guild members beside him.

Also in the midst of them stood someone familiar but not affiliated with the guild.

“Who are you?!”