Chapter 153 – What It Means to Become One (2)

The location for the new Hanul Guild was decided to be in Seoul.

The citizens of Seoul welcomed the decision, while those in other regions had to voice their disappointment.

With the 3rd and 18th ranked guilds merging, every guild and related party in the country was paying close attention.

Some predicted the merger would fail, citing the distinct characteristics of each guild.

Hanul had produced many star-level players.

Lee Hyunbin, the Deliveryman, and Seo Hyun-ji, both considered top hunters in the country.

Some even called Team 3, where these two were together, the strongest team in history.

Though composed entirely of rookies, they were showing the most dazzling growth.

The party was solidly built around the reliable tankers, the leaders of Team 1 and Team 2.

And there were others, like the assassin Seon Woo-jin and the strength mage Park Ah-ra, whose potential began to explode after joining Hanul and receiving substantial support.

Talents coveted by agents were also growing rapidly.

The Hwarang Guild, on the other hand, had no top players but was known for its incredibly stable operations.

The only hunter who could be called a big name was Mad Dog Kim Cheol-su, and the guild was renowned for its excellent teamwork and for avoiding major injuries.

The free agency market would open soon.

When that happened, many would transfer guilds, either because they were dissatisfied with their current one or to receive a better salary or more support.

Hunters already in guilds would also be able to renegotiate their contracts.

The merger of the two guilds. Whether it would create a synergistic effect or a vicious cycle was something that remained to be seen.

After all, they say that factions form even when just three people gather.

The members of the Hwarang Guild gathered in their building for the first time in a while.

Or rather, there wasn’t much they could do since the guild was soon to be disbanded.

They couldn’t bid on dungeons, and their access to gates was restricted.

“The new Hanul Guild building they’re constructing is no joke, I hear.”

“I saw the article, too. It’s insane.”

“Hyung, I went and saw it myself. Going from a broke-ass company to one with some money, it’s definitely different.”

“Hey, hey. Even the equipment is on another level. Remember how those Tushin Guild bastards used to ask if we stitched our power suits with needles?”

From its inception until now, the Hwarang Guild had always struggled with capital.

Other guilds were founded by large corporations, but Hwarang had started as a small to medium-sized enterprise, so it was inevitable.

Because of this, many secretly welcomed the merger with Hanul.

“Hey, you happy? Have some damn pride! Getting sold off like this.”

Of course, not everyone was pleased.

At the words of a man with short hair and sharp eyes, everyone fell silent.

“The guild is going under and we’re all being sold off for cheap, and you’re all just grinning about it.”

“For cheap? My salary went up.”

The one who answered was Mad Dog Kim Cheol-su.

At his words, the man with the sharp eyes muttered reproachfully.

“It went up because it’s you, hyung. For grunts like us…”

“Still, they said they’d significantly improve our contract terms if we get good scores in the evaluation training.”

“Hey, you believe that?”

The sharp-eyed man let out a sigh as if it were absurd.

Maybe because he had a puppy-like face, he was saying such naive things.

A corporation’s purpose is to generate profit.

It was obvious they would try every excuse in the book to keep cutting salaries.

Especially since they were absorbing a company that had gone bankrupt.

They were someone else’s employees, someone else’s family, so there was no need to treat them properly.

The reason the Hwarang Guild members were gathered today was for the upcoming guild entrance test.

Usually, guild entrance tests were for new hunters with no career history.

To make even seasoned hunters go through training and testing—it was the ultimate disrespect.

“From what I hear, the Hanul members all had to take a separate test too, right? After that new team leader came.”

“They’re trying to weed people out, you idiot. Why have you been so friendly toward Hanul this whole time? Did they pay you or something?”

“No, it’s more that they made me a business card…”

The junior who said this with a smile looked not just naive, but foolish.

‘Then again, this shithole of a guild never even made business cards for its hunters.’

It wasn’t like making business cards cost a fortune. Just a few thousand won per person.

The financial state of Hwarang was such a mess that one had to wonder what they had done with all the money they’d earned.

“You know what they say, if you feel wronged, get stronger. Go show them what you’ve got in the entrance training test, or whatever it is. Hwarang style. Huh? You know, that thing we’re good at.”

At the words of Kim Cheol-su, the spiritual pillar of the Hwarang Guild, everyone chuckled softly.

Most of the senior hunters had left for major guilds, but Kim Cheol-su alone had remained with Hwarang.

Even when offered a high salary and the position of team leader.

That was why Kim Cheol-su’s presence meant so much to the hunters of the Hwarang Guild.

“If I were a Hanul manager, I’d double all your salaries! You guys are good enough to hold your own anywhere, so don’t be scared. Don’t be scared.”

“Still, it seems they’re not planning to take the test lightly. A very busy person is coming to the training ground.”

“Busy?”

Kim Cheol-su suddenly felt a sense of unease.

“Yes, Hunter Lee Hyunbin, the Deliveryman, is the training instructor.”

“Huh?”

“Wow! He’s a total A-list hunter.”

“Isn’t that hunter incredibly busy? Does he usually participate in this kind of training?”

Hearing that the Deliveryman was coming, the Hwarang Guild members grew excited. But Kim Cheol-su’s face turned visibly pale.

“Cheol-su sunbae?”

The first to notice the change in him was the man with the sharp eyes.

“I don’t think I can make it to the training.”

“Uh, the notice said attendance is mandatory for everyone.”

“I can’t go. No, I won’t go.”

The puppy-faced junior tilted his head, puzzled by Kim Cheol-su’s sudden refusal.

The sharp-eyed man interpreted Kim Cheol-su’s words differently.

“Just as expected from you, sunbae-nim. Even if we’re being acquired, there’s no need to bow down, is that it?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“See, you idiots? We may be broke, but we’ve got our pride! Live without fear!”

The sharp-eyed man had completely misinterpreted Kim Cheol-su.

“All of you should go. It’s the right thing to do.”

“What?”

At Kim Cheol-su’s unexpected words, the sharp-eyed man’s mouth hung open in confusion.

Since Kim Cheol-su, the eldest among them, had spoken, no one else could object.

“Honestly, I’ve been wanting to meet Hunter Lee Hyunbin once.”

“Hey, you think you’re the only one? Who’s had a bigger short-term impact than the Deliveryman?”

“For me, it’s Seo Hyun-ji. I’m going to try and get her autograph when I see her this time.”

“Man, Seo Hyun-ji is pretty, popular, and skilled. So awesome. We’re going to be in the same guild now. I wonder if I can get her to call me oppa.”

The members of the Hwarang Guild laughed and chatted, each sharing their expectations.

No one seemed gloomy about being absorbed into another guild.

Only the sharp-eyed man wore a dissatisfied expression.

‘I have to save myself, at least.’

Kim Cheol-su felt sorry for betraying the comrades he had shared so much with, but he couldn’t die with them.

Hadn’t he already been trained—no, tortured—by Lee Hyunbin?

Kim Cheol-su firmly believed he had his excuse.

* * *

“I destroy the world and create the world…!”

Lee Jeon-guk was leaning against a wall, spouting such nonsense.

What kind of concept is that now?

The guy was a huge lecher who loved women, but recently he got obsessed with 2D girls in his room and turned a bit weird.

I thought he was a relatively normal guy when he was fighting wars with me.

Or did I hit him too much?

“Is this some kind of investigative report? Lee Ja-rang’s brain has been damaged. Regarding the violation of a foreigner’s human rights, I am always ready to give an interview… Hello? Hello.”

Lee Ja-rang, who was on the phone in a corner, started trembling like a leaf when our eyes met.

How strange.

“I’m pretty sure I worked him until he didn’t have the strength to lift a finger.”

“No. Lee Ja-rang cannot move a single finger.”

“Then what about the finger that was just making a call? Was that a spoon?”

Lee Ja-rang started to run.

Nice try. I blocked the exit.

Looking around nervously, Lee Ja-rang spotted a window and gulped.

To escape from the third-floor team training room, Lee Ja-rang curled his body into a ball and leaped toward the window.

Crash!

“Gack!”

Lee Ja-rang failed to break the window and went tumbling to the floor.

So many people had been jumping out of windows lately that I had them replaced with special tempered glass.

It cost a bit, but it came out of Im Jae-joon’s pocket, not mine, so who cares.

“Ja-rang.”

“Don’t look at me like that, Captain.”

Looks like our Ja-rang still has some energy left. Have I been underestimating him?

I started sparring with Lee Ja-rang again.

“Captain. This is a violation of human rights.”

“Yeah, no it’s not.”

“This is training that shouldn’t exist in 21st-century South Korea.”

“You gonna say that to a boss monster? You ever seen a boss monster with a criminal record for assault?”

“It hurts. It really hurts.”

“Training is about getting hit until it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Hearing my words, Lee Ja-rang spoke in a trembling voice.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“Really? For real? It doesn’t hurt? Wow.”

I hit him a few more times.

Soon, Lee Ja-rang was sobbing in a corner of the ring. He’s the only teenager here, maybe I was too harsh.

Nah. I have to raise him strong.

The youth are the future of the nation, after all.

Anyway, it feels good to warm up after a while. But I feel like I’m not fully warmed up yet.

Of course, the one who gives the best feedback is our Tae-yang.

“Tae-yang.”

“…Yes, Team Leader?”

Kim Tae-yang’s expression shifted through a thousand emotions.

I smiled and beckoned from inside the ring.

“Team Leader. I don’t think I need to spar.”

“You haven’t been sparring lately, so I think you’ve gotten a little weaker.”

“Me? Wow, Team Leader, you have no idea!”

Kim Tae-yang immediately puffed out his chest and spoke confidently.

“You know, I even sparred with that French number one ranker, Jean-Pierre, and it was a close match!”

“A close match?”

“Yes, yes! Jean-Pierre said he wanted to spar with you, Team Leader. He was all like, ‘Korea is weak!’ So I stepped up and snapped his finger, just like that!”

“Aha.”

“Seriously, wow! If it were anyone else, I would have held back! But how could I stand by while he was openly dissing the Team Leader I respect so much!”

“I see.”

At my words, Kim Tae-yang’s eyes filled with something akin to hope.

“Honestly, I know you helped me with my training, Team Leader, but I’ve also put in a blood-sweating effort. I’ve even become strong enough to spar with the incredibly powerful number one ranker from France. Don’t you think it’s about time I graduated from sparring?”

“He looked fine to me.”

“Huh?”

Kim Tae-yang blinked at my words.

“His fingers weren’t broken. He looked perfectly fine.”

“Uh?”

Who is this guy trying to fool? He was using his fingers just fine.

“And what do you mean, strong? He was all hype.”

“Uh…?”

Kim Tae-yang was flustered. His expression said, *this isn’t how it’s supposed to go*.

“A special sparring session for our weakened Tae-yang!”

“Ha, haha… N-No, thank you.”

“If you get up here now, I won’t use any strikes.”

“…!”

My words seemed to tempt Kim Tae-yang a little.

He had never seen me fight as a grappler.

“You promise?”

“Of course.”

Kim Tae-yang climbed into the ring.

I immediately went for a low single-leg tackle on our Tae-yang.

He tried to dodge in surprise, but Kim Tae-yang had already been taken down.

“Aaargh! Uwaaaah! This hurts mooooore!”

Kim Tae-yang screamed. Tsk, tsk, I haven’t even started yet.

Alright, here comes the technique. Ta-da-da-da~ boom-ch-ch boom-ch-ch ta-da-ri-ra.

“Tap! Taptaptaptap!”

“There’s no tapping out in a real fight.”

I think a curse word slipped out of Kim Tae-yang’s mouth, but I decided to let it slide. It was probably one of those American expressions of surprise, right? He wouldn’t dare use the F-word on me, would he?

I sparred with each of them one by one.

“Aaaack, blood! I’m bleeding, bleeding!”

“A fire truck doesn’t stop for blood, boy.”

“That’s a red light!”

Katrinne watched with a pleased expression as everyone got beaten up in sparring.

Right now, the suffering of her knights was of no concern to her.

She was just happy because the price of her Heal skill had been raised from 100 to 500 won, making her profits quite handsome.

“Good work, everyone.”

All the members of Team 3 had been sparred with. They all looked like they’d been chewing on lemons.

“You all know we’re merging with the Hwarang Guild soon, right?”

“Yes. We know.”

Kim Tae-yang answered, his face full of discontent.

When I smiled at him, he quickly put on a polite expression and widened his eyes prettily.

“I felt I should tell you all in advance. I will be stepping down from my position as Team Leader.”

“What?”

Hearing my words, the team members looked shocked.

“A new team leader for Team 3 will be assigned soon, so please continue to work hard. Never let your guard down, always do your best. And don’t die.”

“Uh, Team Leader, where are you going?”

Kim In-ho asked worriedly, but I could see Lee Ja-rang grinning so wide his gums were showing.

That little brat.

“Now that the merger with the Hwarang Guild is underway and many talented people have joined, I plan to give up the Team Leader position.”

“A wise decision. There is no need for such a humble person to be in such a precious place.”

Looks like our Lee Ja-rang hasn’t had enough training yet. His tongue is wagging quite freely.

I’ll have to break him in with a bit more care.

“The new team leader is also a skilled person, so please follow them well.”

“……”

An air of disappointment filled the room, as no one had expected me to suddenly leave the team.

“Team Leader, are you transferring to another team?”

Seo Hyun-ji asked, her breath catching with emotion.

“That’s a shame, there’s still so much I have to learn from you, Team Leader…”

“Uh, what’s with all the misunderstanding?”

“…?”

I smiled brightly, dispelling the worries of my beloved team members.

“My position has been changed from Hanul’s Team 3 Leader to Hanul’s Tactical Director. I’ll continue to whip you all into shape, so don’t worry. Hahaha.”

“Ha… haha…”

“Now then, in that spirit, shall we roll around a bit? Come on, come on, let’s go for another round of sparring!”