Chapter 22

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 22: Detected Conspiracy (1)

It had been 30 minutes since Kwon Hanul entered the Platinum Dungeon.

The guild master of Iron Fang anxiously watched the gate.

‘He must be dead by now. There's no way he survived. He has to be dead.’

He desperately hoped that Kwon Hanul wouldn’t return.

It wasn’t that he harbored any personal hatred toward the man.

But if Kwon Hanul came back alive, the Iron Fang Guild would be in grave danger.

‘Damn it. Why did I have to get dragged into this mess...?’

A few days ago, a hunter from the Hyukcheon Group had paid a visit to Iron Fang.

The hunter handed over a Tentacle of Eclipse and demanded that it be thrown into the Platinum Dungeon—if the guild wished to protect itself.

‘If they have internal conflicts, they should handle it themselves. Why drag me into it?’

Iron Fang was the number one guild in South Korea, but that meant little on the world stage.

Compared to Hyukcheon, which operated globally, Iron Fang was pathetically weak.

If they got caught in the crossfire of Hyukcheon’s internal struggles, the guild would be wiped out.

However, refusing the hunter’s demand meant immediate peril.

With no choice, the guild master reluctantly complied.

‘If Kwon Hanul dies... everything will be solved.’

The Hyukcheon hunter had promised that if Kwon Hanul perished, the matter would be quietly buried.

Whether that promise would be kept was a separate issue. The priority was making sure Kwon Hanul didn’t return alive.

If he did, everything Iron Fang had done would be exposed.

And that would be the end of the guild.

‘Please, please... I'm begging you!’

Not only had they thrown the Tentacle of Eclipse, an SS-rank disaster-class entity, into a Platinum Dungeon—a dungeon with city-scale destruction potential—but they had done so to ensure Kwon Hanul’s demise.

By all logic, there was no way he could have survived.

Even so, the Iron Fang guild master couldn’t shake his unease.

"It's taking longer than expected,” The woman standing beside him muttered to herself.

The guild master glanced at her.

As always, he found her beauty almost unreal—so much so that even in this dire moment, she caught his eye.

She gazed at the gate, her face full of concern.

‘What's their relationship?’

The guild master pondered blankly before shaking his head.

This wasn’t the time to be distracted.

Then—it happened.

The gate suddenly began to expand.

What had been just large enough for a person to pass through quickly grew to the size of a passage fit for a massive warship.

"A monster is coming through! Weapons ready!"

"This one isn’t like the others! We cannot let it reach the city!"

Judging by the size of the gate, the creature attempting to escape was far beyond the initial Karakula worker-class monsters.

The situation was critical.

And yet, the guild master nearly let out a cheer.

‘Yes! That bastard is dead!’

If Kwon Hanul were alive, no monsters would be escaping the dungeon.

The only explanation was that he had perished, and now the monsters had shifted their focus to the outside world.

‘My guild is safe now!’

But moments later, his expression turned to stone.

"W-What...? H-Huh?!"

It wasn’t a monster that emerged from the gate.

It was Kwon Hanul.

Without hesitation, he reached back into the gate.

With a forceful pull, he dragged out an enormous monster carcass.

"Wh-what in the world...? T-That’s a Karakula General!

"Not just one—there’s two of them?!"

"W-Wait... isn't that a Karakula Queen?!"

"If the Queen is dead... then that means he wiped out the entire Karakula swarm..."

The jaws of the Iron Fang guild members hung open.

But no one was more shocked than the guild master himself.

‘H-He’s alive?! S-Sure, they say the Hyukcheon bloodline produces monsters, but... this is insane!’

As the guild master stood there in horror, Kwon Hanul finished pulling out the last of the corpses.

"Phew, that was heavy."

He wiped sweat from his forehead as Joo Hayun approached and bowed her head.

"I’m relieved you made it back safely."

"It wasn’t that big of a deal."

Kwon Hanul patted one of the monster corpses.

"They’re a bit banged up, but... we should be able to craft some decent gear from these, right?"

"If we leave them to Master Craftsman Park Tae-sik, they won’t just be decent—they’ll be exceptional."

Watching Kwon Hanul casually chat with Joo Hayun, the guild master fell into deep turmoil.

He had spent his entire life building this guild.

He couldn’t just let it crumble like this.

‘Should I launch a surprise attack? If I drive a blade into his heart, even a Hyukcheon bloodline monster should—’

His thoughts spiraled as rational judgment faded.

Then, he suddenly realized—

Kwon Hanul was watching him.

"You’re thinking about something very interesting, aren’t you?"

A surge of pressure emanated from Kwon Hanul.

Dark mana, as black as the abyss, engulfed the entire area.

The sound of insects faded.

The world fell into silence.

It was not just overwhelming. It was absolute.

The guild master’s fighting spirit crumbled instantly.

"Stop wasting time. Let’s talk about what you’ve done."

He was screwed.

The guild master felt his heart plummet.

"Let’s see... first, you interfered with a Hyukcheon Group operation."

Kwon Hanul counted on his fingers.

"Second, you introduced a classified hazardous object—the Tentacle of Eclipse—into the dungeon, nearly triggering a disaster."

Another finger folded.

"And lastly, you tried to have me, a Hyukcheon member, killed."

With each statement, the guild master trembled.

"Hayun, what’s the standard punishment for this?"

"They all have to die,” Joo Hayun stated firmly. "Threatening a Hyukcheon member carries a severe penalty. If you give the order, I will personally execute them."

The guild master collapsed to his knees.

"W-We were just following orders! A hunter from Hyukcheon came to us, a-and we had no choice...!"

"And? What do you think, Hayun?"

"They still have to die."

Joo Hayun remained resolute.

"Regardless of their reasons, their crimes are unforgivable."

The faces of the Iron Fang members turned deathly pale.

"Hmph."

Kwon Hanul stroked his chin in thought.

"Iron Fang and I had bad blood even before I joined Hyukcheon."

The guild had once tried to pin a crime on him to protect their successor.

Had Joo Hayun not intervened back then, things would have ended very differently.

"And now, you’ve again tried to get rid of me."

No matter the circumstances, Iron Fang had wronged him twice.

"I-It wasn’t our choice! They threatened to wipe out our guild if we didn’t cooperate...!"

"So you weren’t afraid of me?"

The guild master’s face went blank.

"T-That’s not what I meant...!"

"Oh? So you figured, ‘It’s fine if this guy dies’? That’s what you thought, right?"

"N-No, that’s not it—!"

"Am I wrong?"

Kwon Hanul’s voice turned razor-sharp.

The guild master clamped his mouth shut.

"Fine. I’ll spare your lives. And your guild."

The guild master’s eyes widened.

"But if anything like this happens again, you will take my side. Understood?"

"O-Of course! Absolutely!"

The guild master nodded frantically while thinking—

‘I’ll never deal with Hyukcheon again. Even if it means leaving Asia!’

Kwon Hanul smiled knowingly.

* * *

"Why did you forgive them?” As soon as they arrived at the lodging, Joo Hayun asked.

Kwon Hanul gave her a puzzled look.

"I never forgave them."

"But you let Iron Fang go unpunished."

"Oh, that?"

Kwon Hanul took off his jacket and spoke casually.

"The one orchestrating all of this is Chan-seong. Iron Fang was just a pawn in his game."

Destroying a dead piece wouldn't change the outcome of the match.

"Wouldn't it be better if I took that piece and put it to good use instead?"

Iron Fang might not compare to Hyukcheon Group, but being Korea’s number-one guild was no small matter.

If handled properly, he could use them to strike a heavy blow against Kwon Chan-seong. That was Kwon Hanul’s reasoning.

"Iron Fang's guild master is not someone to be trusted. When the moment comes, he will betray you."

"I know. That's why I put a leash on him in advance."

The ring Kwon Hanul had handed the guild master wasn’t just any accessory.

It was the Ring of Binding—something he had taken from Kwon Chan-seong.

By now, the brainwashing curse infused within it was continuously corrupting the Iron Fang guild master’s mind.

Once the brainwashing was complete, Kwon Hanul could use him as a hunting dog—or a convenient tool.

There were endless ways to make use of him.

"A leash...?"

Joo Hayun tilted her head in confusion.

At that moment, Kwon Hanul’s smartphone vibrated.

When he checked the caller ID, he was surprised.

It was Kwon Seonwoo.

What does this old man want?

Kwon Hanul answered the call, feeling slightly wary.

"What’s the matter?"

—Still as curt as ever, I see.

"Coming from you, Chairman, that’s hardly fair."

If Kwon Hanul was merely unfriendly, then Kwon Seonwoo’s way of speaking was downright indifferent to the point of being infuriating.

—Congratulations on completing your debut mission safely.

"Thank you."

—I must admit, I didn’t expect you to single-handedly annihilate the Karankula swarm after absorbing the Tentacle of Eclipse.

As expected, Kwon Seonwoo knew everything.

He had known and yet did nothing.

What a nasty old man.

Kwon Hanul clicked his tongue.

—Now that you've passed all the tests, I will keep my promise. You are granted access to Hyukcheon’s Treasure Vault and permission to form your own team.

Kwon Hanul clenched his fist.

Getting approval to form a team within Hyukcheon Group was an incredibly difficult feat.

Not only did one have to prove their abilities over a long period, but they also needed direct approval from the Chairman.

Even Kwon Jiseok, the Vice Chairman’s second son, had only recently received permission to form his own team.

—But giving you just this might be a little boring. If you return to the Hyukcheon bloodline, I will grant you the Subspace Skill. It will be useful.

Kwon Hanul's eyes widened.

The Subspace Skill allowed its user to distort dimensions and store various objects.

It was incredibly rare—less than three were discovered worldwide in a year.

And yet, Kwon Seonwoo was offering it just like that.

This is exactly the kind of wealth you'd expect from Hyukcheon's Chairman.

—And one more thing.

"Yes, sir?"

—You did well.

For a moment, Kwon Hanul’s mind went blank.

Did this old man just... compliment me?

He wanted to ask for clarification, but before he could, Kwon Seonwoo smoothly changed the subject.

—You'll need money and equipment to establish a team.

"Isn’t that something Hyukcheon Group should naturally take care of?"

—Hah. You say some amusing things. Do you think Hyukcheon Group runs on charity?

Kwon Hanul hesitated for a moment.

—We are not generous enough to invest in a team without proven ability.

"So you’re saying I need to show results first if I want support."

—You’re catching on quickly now.

Kiss my ass.

Kwon Hanul swore internally.

—I happen to have a fitting job for you. Interested?

"What is it?"

—Do you know of the Mei Family of Tianjiang?

There was only one Mei Family that someone of Kwon Seonwoo’s status would bother mentioning.

"Of course. They're one of China's most powerful noble families."

There were several prominent clans around the world that possessed immense power.

While Hyukcheon was currently at the top, they couldn’t ignore the rapid growth of other families.

That was why constant surveillance and power struggles between them never ceased.

The Mei Family of Tianjiang was one such competitor.

"I’ve heard that, like Hyukcheon, they also have a special bloodline."

—Hah. You have no idea. Compared to our Black Dragon Blood, their bloodline is a pathetic excuse for power.

Kwon Hanul smirked bitterly.

While it was true that Hyukcheon was considered the dominant force in East Asia, the Mei Family had enormous influence over all of China.

And with that influence came formidable bloodline abilities.

—Recently, a dungeon dispute broke out between us and the Mei Family. I was planning to crush those arrogant bastards… but they proposed something interesting.

"What kind of proposal?"

—Each family will select three representatives for a team battle. The winner will claim ownership of the dungeon.

Kwon Seonwoo spoke as if it was no big deal, but this match carried tremendous significance.

Each family choosing representatives to fight meant this was a battle for honor and pride.

—Interestingly, they suggested that only those who haven’t participated in external missions before be allowed to compete. Seems like they’ve got a promising new talent of their own.

That makes sense.

Defeating Hyukcheon would be a shortcut to instant fame.

That must be why Kwon Seonwoo was bringing it up now—because Kwon Hanul had only just made his debut and wasn’t yet well-known.

—So, what do you say? Interested?

"Make sure the funding is generous."

There was no need to hesitate.

* * *

After ending the call, Kwon Seonwoo put his phone down and spoke.

"Well? Didn’t I tell you things would play out like this?"

Kwon Chan-seong lifted his head. His face was as rigid as stone.

"I didn’t expect a pureblood to be outmatched by a trueblood so soon. I wonder… is it the difference in grade, or simply the difference in individuals?"

Kwon Chan-seong bit his lip.

This turn of events had devalued him while raising Kwon Hanul’s worth.

He wasn’t sure how much of an obstacle this would become in the future, but one thing was clear—this would be a major setback.

"Leave now."

With those words, Kwon Chan-seong silently left the room.

He walked a long way from the mansion, his mind a swirling storm.

Then—

“……Arghhh!”

The rage he had been suppressing exploded.

He kicked a nearby tree with full force.

The trunk shattered into splinters, and he stomped on the debris until nothing but dust remained.

After venting for a long while, he finally managed to calm himself.

"Hanul… little cousin… You’re going to pay dearly for this."

His teeth clenched so hard that the grinding sound echoed ominously.

Just then—

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Checking the screen, he saw a message from Kwon Hanul.

–I won the bet. Don’t forget our deal.

—Kwon Hanul—

His blood pressure shot up. Kwon Chan-seong took a deep breath to steady himself.

Then, a second message arrived.

–You really have no talent for gambling.

—Kwon Hanul—

"You son of a—!"

In the end, Kwon Chan-seong clutched the back of his neck in frustration.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]