Chapter 40

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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Chapter 40: Keeping Promises (1)

In a dimly lit room.

Kwon Chan-seong sat at his work desk, eyes fixed on the monitor in front of him.

Displayed on the screen was information about the next monster he was tasked with subjugating.

Hecaton, an SS-rank monster.

It resembled a bear, but stood over 50 meters tall, its entire body composed of wood, stone, and similar materials. On top of that, it had the terrifying ability to endlessly create clones that possessed the same destructive power as its main body.

While it wasn’t on the same level as Eclipse, the SSS-rank behemoth he had previously taken down, Hecaton was still classified as a global catastrophe, an immense threat.

The Hyukcheon Group had entrusted Hecaton’s extermination to Kwon Chan-seong alone—evidence of his elevated status within the organization.

“…Sigh.”

Despite being tasked with such a weighty mission, Kwon Chan-seong couldn’t focus on the data in front of him. His mind was preoccupied with something else—no, someone else.

“What should I do about that bastard?”

He muttered under his breath when suddenly, the ringtone of his phone rang out.

He glanced at the screen and saw the caller ID.

Kwon Hyuk.

His father.

“…”

He didn’t answer right away. After taking a deep breath and organizing his thoughts, he finally picked up the call.

“Father, is something the matter?”

— “Tsk, my son. Why are you answering your father’s call so coldly?”

A playful tone echoed through the speaker. But the wariness on Kwon Chan-seong’s face didn’t fade.

His father wasn’t one to call without a purpose.

— “So, how’s the monster hunt preparation going?”

“Yes, everything should be wrapped up within the month.”

— “As expected of my son. Excellent.”

Even with such affectionate words, Kwon Chan-seong remained cautious.

Especially because it was him. His father never wasted words or gestures without motive.

— “But tell me, why haven’t you dealt with Kwon Hanul yet?”

Kwon Chan-seong’s fists clenched involuntarily. His vigilance had paid off.

— “I heard everything. You tried to mess with that brat and failed, didn’t you?”

“That’s…”

— “And on top of that, you got caught by the Chairman.”

On the day of Kwon Hanul’s initiation ceremony.

Kwon Chan-seong had tried to kill him by introducing a tendril of Eclipse into the dungeon.

Eclipse’s blood mutates monsters, making them far stronger. The Platinum-ranked dungeon, where Kwon Hanul was meant to debut, was forcibly elevated to Diamond-level danger.

Back then, Kwon Chan-seong was convinced Kwon Hanul would die.

But Kwon Hanul had shattered that expectation.

He cleared the dungeon—alone—and with absurd ease.

— “Do you remember what I told you when I left that boy in your hands? I told you, if you’re going to kill him, do it early, didn’t I?”

Kwon Hyuk’s tone was soft, almost tender. He didn’t sound reprimanding at all, which made Kwon Chan-seong even more tense.

— “It was just one failed attempt, but what happened afterward? What has Kwon Hanul achieved since?”

He won a duel against the Mei family all by himself. Then, in the subsequent war, he killed the Greatest Sword of the Central Plains.

— “Right now, you stand far above him. But that won’t last long. Given his rate of growth, it won’t be long before he stands on equal footing with you.”

Kwon Hyuk’s words weren’t worry—they were near certainty.

— “He may have a questionable origin, so the bloodline elders don’t support him. But Hyukcheon moves according to strength. Sooner or later, the whole bloodline will recognize him.”

A brief pause.

— “What do you intend to do now?”

“I will eliminate him. Soon.”

— “How?”

Kwon Hyuk’s voice rose slightly.

— “The name Kwon Hanul has already spread throughout the entire Hyukcheon clan. It's even making waves beyond. He’s in the spotlight now.”

Fame attracts eyes.

And the more eyes watching, the harder it is to make a move.

— “On top of that, the Chairman is already backing Kwon Hanul.”

He encourages competition but forbids bloodshed.

That was Chairman Kwon Seonwoo’s stance. He was the type who liked weighing people’s worth but did not want the clan bathed in blood.

— “Getting rid of Kwon Hanul under the Chairman’s watchful eye is next to impossible. So how do you plan to kill him?”

Kwon Chan-seong couldn’t answer recklessly. His father was right—eliminating Kwon Hanul without the Chairman noticing was practically impossible.

— “Useless fool.”

Kwon Chan-seong shuddered at those words.

— “Do you know why I left this to you?”

“I don’t.”

He answered honestly.

His father, Kwon Hyuk, was not one to tolerate rivals. He always handled them personally.

But this time, he didn’t. He passed it on to Kwon Chan-seong.

— “Because that brat is Kwon Cheon’s son.”

Kwon Cheon.

Kwon Hyuk’s younger brother. Kwon Hanul’s father. And Kwon Chan-seong’s uncle.

— “I refuse to accept that my own blood is inferior to that man’s son.”

A chill ran down Kwon Chan-seong’s spine.

His father never forgave those who disappointed him.

Even if it was his own son.

— “This is your last chance.”

Kwon Chan-seong straightened his posture.

— “I’ll send you a contact. Work with them to deal with Kwon Hanul.”

“Yes, understood.”

Click—the call ended. A moment later, a text arrived.

It contained a phone number—and a name.

“…No way.”

As soon as he saw the name, Kwon Chan-seong was taken aback.

“You expect me to work with her?”

He was torn.

His pride as a member of the Hyukcheon bloodline wouldn’t allow it. This crossed the line—he couldn’t condone this.

But logic, fear, and instinct screamed otherwise.

Defy his father’s expectations, and life would become worse than death.

“….”

Kwon Chan-seong shut his eyes tight. Then, slowly, he dialed the number.

— “Oh my, I really did get a call.”

A young woman’s voice chimed sweetly through the receiver. Kwon Chan-seong forced himself to sound calm.

“It’s an honor to finally speak. Catalina Blaga.”

Soft laughter, like a whisper against his ear, echoed from the other end.

* * *

Late afternoon.

Kwon Hanul quietly stared at the two items laid on his desk.

A Golden Apple Seed and the Sacred Emperor’s Water needed to sprout it.

With these, he could finally raise one of his stats to S-rank.

It should have been a joyous moment, yet he couldn’t immediately obtain the Golden Apple.

“So, I need dungeon soil?”

In response to his question, Joo Hayeon nodded.

“Earth’s soil can’t sustain the Golden Apple seed. You need dungeon soil.”

He’d heard of this before.

Dungeon soil was far superior to Earth’s, rich in unique and potent properties.

Even the same crops grown in dungeon soil had better taste and nutritional value.

“Ordinary dungeon soil won’t do either. It must be high-grade soil worthy of the Golden Apple seed.”

“Sounds like this won’t be easy,” Kwon Hanul murmured.

Kwon Hanul clicked his tongue shortly.

There’s plenty of land on Earth, but only a small fraction is suitable for farming. The same applied to dungeons—if anything, it was worse.

Dungeons generated all sorts of terrains: wastelands, deserts, even oceans.

Among those, finding soil suitable for cultivating crops—especially high-quality soil—was far from easy.

“Can’t we get some from the family’s warehouse?”

“There’s no supply at all. Dungeon soil is in such high demand…”

“Whew.”

A sigh escaped Kwon Hanul’s lips before he realized it.

“We don’t even have the money to buy it from elsewhere. This is bad.”

The Hyukcheon family was wealthy—but only the family was. Kwon Hanul himself had no money.

“I could purchase it for you if you’d like…” Joo Hayun offered cautiously.

Hanul shook his head.

“I’d feel too ashamed to rely on your help. Besides, wouldn’t the Chairman be disappointed if I did that?”

“Your judgment is sound.”

Given the Chairman’s penchant for testing people, this situation likely was a test.

Still, he was out of options. If there truly was no way, he could always delay things, but—

“I really want to get the golden apple as soon as possible.”

The difference between A-rank and S-rank stats was like heaven and earth.

Such immense power was within reach, and yet he might have to postpone again. The thought alone was frustrating.

At that moment, Joo Hayun spoke.

“Just in case, I looked into dungeons where we might be able to obtain soil.”

“Really?”

Hanul’s face brightened. He hadn’t expected her to prepare that far ahead.

“Among the dungeons currently managed by the Hyukcheon Group, there’s exactly one where we can obtain soil suitable for cultivating golden apples.”

“Which dungeon is it?”

“It’s a Gold-Class dungeon. The interior is forest terrain, and many Mud Trolls inhabit it.”

Mud Trolls.

They lived deep in the forest and, unusually for trolls, lived in groups.

Their disposition was calm, and they loved to nap buried in dirt and mud—hence the name Mud Trolls.

That was about all Hanul knew. Mud Trolls were rare monsters, so little was publicly known about them.

“Mud Trolls consume soil and herbs to survive. Because of that, their bodies contain large amounts of earth.”

“So if I just get that soil, I can grow the golden apple?”

“Yes. Especially the white soil which can only be obtained from the leader of the Mud Trolls. It’s a top-tier material that trades at a high price. If you use white soil to grow the golden apple, its effects might be even greater.”

Hanul’s ears perked up.

Even normally, golden apples could raise one stat to S-rank with certainty.

If its efficacy increased, who knew what could happen? The mere thought gave him chills of excitement.

“However, there’s one concern…”

“Is there a problem?”

“That dungeon is currently being cleared by Kwon Jiseok.”

Hanul raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t Jiseok banned from forming a team?

“Thanks to his performance during the conflict with the Mei Family, the Chairman permitted him to form a team. They chose the Mud Troll dungeon as a training ground to build their teamwork.”

Hanul nodded. Jiseok had performed impressively back then.

“But your relationship with him isn’t exactly amicable, so even if you ask, I’m not sure he’d agree…”

“No need to worry about that,” Hanul replied confidently.

Joo Hayun looked puzzled.

“He owes me a debt.”

* * *

The next day, Kwon Hanul headed to Busan.

The dungeon Jiseok was clearing was located there, on a secluded beach.

Around the oval-shaped dungeon entrance stood Kwon Jiseok, his team, and support staff from the Hyukcheon Group.

“What the hell are you doing here? And Hayun’s with you too?”

As expected, Jiseok greeted Hanul with his usual gruffness.

Though they’d fought side-by-side against the Mei Family, Jiseok’s attitude hadn’t changed.

Hanul, already anticipating this, ignored it and got straight to the point.

“I want to get some soil from the Mud Trolls.”

“…Are you insane?! Why the hell would I give that to you?!”

Again, expected. Hanul let the outrage flow in one ear and out the other.

“Come on, it’s not like I’m asking for the moon—just some soil.”

“Don’t play dumb! You’re not after just any soil—you want the white soil from the boss, don’t you?!”

Jiseok instantly saw through Hanul’s intentions and exploded.

“The white soil is already sold!”

“Already? Who did you sell it to?”

“I don’t know.”

Hanul frowned, and Jiseok quickly explained.

“The buyer was arranged by my older brother. I can’t sell it to anyone else.”

“Your brother?”

“Yeah. He gave me the rights to this dungeon in the first place—on the condition that I sell the white soil to that buyer. So don’t even dream of getting it from me.”

“Does this buyer even exist?”

“Are you calling me a liar?! He said he’d visit soon!”

Hanul paused to think. If there really was a buyer, he should back off.

But thinking of what Jiseok and Kwon Chan-seong had done to him… backing off didn’t feel right.

Besides, Chan-seong owed him a debt too.

“You’re making this difficult.”

“What? Difficult?!”

“You promised me, remember? That you’d grant me one request, anything I wanted.”

A few months ago, Hanul had made a wager with Jiseok during an internal competition within the Hyukcheon family.

Naturally, Hanul won—and Jiseok was bound to fulfill any request Hanul made.

“Surely a noble pureblood of the Hyukcheon family wouldn’t break his word?”

Jiseok’s face twisted in agony.

“Y-You’re blackmailing me now?! You think I’ll just let this slide?!”

His face had gone pale.

Even if it was just a verbal promise, if Hanul went around spreading the word, Jiseok’s honor would be in shambles.

“What’s it going to be?”

Hanul asked coolly. Jiseok clenched his teeth.

“…Still no.”

Hanul stared at him.

“I said no! Even if you glare at me!”

“Your promise to your brother must be really important, huh?”

“No, it’s not just that… I mean, it is, but… actually, there’s another issue…”

Jiseok hesitated, frustration plastered across his face. After sighing a few times, he finally confessed.

“…We haven’t cleared the dungeon yet.”

It was, indeed, a shocking revelation.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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