Chapter 53

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 53: Bringing in a New Recruit (1)

It had been a week since Kwon Hanul returned from Park Tae-sik’s workshop.

During that time, he stayed busy tending to the Golden Apple sapling and thinking about how to reconstruct the Thunder Step technique.

Raising the Golden Apple sapling was meticulous work but not overly difficult.

The real problem was Thunder Step.

He was trying to dismantle and reconfigure an existing skill.

Even with the Shura Bloodline and Genius Bloodline, it wasn’t something that yielded answers easily.

Just as he was about to give up, a new idea struck him. From that point, the path forward became clearer.

Thunder Step is a technique that harnesses Lightning Energy—using ordinary mana to replicate its full potential was nearly impossible.

So, Hanul decided to substitute Lightning Energy with the demon’s authority, Monarch.

Monarch is a power that governs the wind.

In short, he would replace the Lightning Energy of Thunder Step with wind.

* * *

“Man, it’s cold.”

Once again, Hanul was standing before the cliff at dawn.

He was practicing how to fuse Monarch with Thunder Step.

“I still can’t get a good grip on this.”

Before starting, he muttered to himself in frustration.

Applying the form of Thunder Step to Monarch was essentially the same as creating a new skill from scratch.

Normally, skills are acquired—not created.

Creating a new skill is so difficult, it’s practically impossible.

<Manifesting Demon’s Authority: ‘Monarch.’>

A gale erupted around Hanul. The wind swirled violently, scattering pebbles from the ground.

Following the basic principles of Thunder Step, Hanul began manipulating the wind.

The wind, which had been aimlessly raging, started to circle around his back.

“So far, so good.”

He intensified the wind with Monarch’s authority.

The vortex grew stronger, the howling wind sharp enough to tear eardrums.

“Wow, things are going pretty well today.”

Just yesterday, he couldn’t even manage this simple movement. But today, he condensed the wind effortlessly.

Riding that momentum, Hanul decided to attempt a more difficult maneuver.

He turned again toward the cliff.

The cliff stood vertical, as if it had been carved clean.

He stepped toward it.

In that instant, the wind gathered at his back lost control and exploded.

The blast flung Hanul straight into the cliff face.

“W-whoa!”

Before he could resist, he slammed into the rock. Cracks radiated out from where he hit.

Moments later, Hanul dropped to the ground with a thud.

“Ow, ow…”

Groaning, he rubbed his nose.

Though he had shielded his body with mana just before impact, it didn’t dull the pain.

“Man, this is not easy.”

He grumbled but stood up immediately to try again.

Each attempt yielded the same result.

He succeeded in condensing the wind—but whenever he tried to use it to move, it would blast him off course.

How long had he struggled like that?

“Lord Hanul?”

A familiar voice called out—Joo Hayun had come to check on him.

“Are you still alive?”

Hanul was such a wreck that her concern was warranted.

His entire body was caked in dirt from repeated impacts, and his clothes were torn all over.

“Oh, Ms. Hayun.”

“Here, take this water and towel.”

She handed them to him. Parched, Hanul eagerly opened the bottle and chugged it.

As his thirst was quenched, a refreshing sensation washed over him. He wiped his mouth and then used the towel to clean off his sweat, mixed with dirt, leaving him uncomfortable.

“Things didn’t go well today, either?”

Joo Hayun looked around. The ground was pitted with craters, and two or three holes were visible on the cliffside.

“When are you going to tell me why you’re torturing yourself like this every morning at dawn?”

Hanul hadn’t told her about this endeavor.

Fusing two distinct authorities and skills to create a new one was considered impossible.

Only because he possessed both Genius Bloodline and Shura Bloodline could he even attempt it.

“I’m just practicing to use Monarch more effectively.”

He could only offer a vague answer.

“That’s not the whole truth, is it?”

Her sharp insight made Hanul flinch. He wondered how he could dodge the question this time.

“Anyway, you need to wrap up for today.”

“Already?”

“Yes, the Chairman has summoned you. Your appointment is in two hours—you should start preparing.”

Hanul’s face filled with confusion.

The Chairman hadn’t even paid him any mind since the auction. Why a sudden summons?

“What’s this about?”

“Beats me. You’ll have to go see for yourself.”

Her playful tone made Hanul feel uneasy.

* * *

“Get out.”

The Chairman’s first words upon seeing Hanul again after so long were blunt.

“…Excuse me?”

“Are you deaf now? I said get out of the main house.”

Hanul retraced his recent actions. He couldn’t think of anything that would have drawn the Chairman’s ire.

“I can’t keep feeding and housing you for free. You’re a member of Hyukcheon now. It’s time you took on a mission.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant? For a second, I thought you were kicking me out.”

“What nonsense.”

At the Chairman’s scolding, Hanul scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Here. This is your assignment.”

The Chairman tossed a sheet of paper at him. Hanul caught it and read through it.

It was a simple escort mission—protect the client from an assassin. That’s it.

The problem was who the assassin might be.

“Chairman?”

“What is it?”

“I think I read this wrong… The suspected assassin group—it says Pandemonium?”

At Hanul’s words, the Chairman frowned.

“So what?”

“What do you mean, ‘so what’…?”

Pandemonium, also known as Den of Demons—a shadowy Hunter organization that only the worst of criminals could join.

Minor crimes wouldn’t even get you in the door.

Rumor had it that most of the world’s most-wanted criminals belonged to Pandemonium.

“You scared of some thugs?”

The Chairman’s remark left Hanul speechless.

Hunters from Pandemonium weren’t ordinary criminals.

The fact they were still alive despite their heinous crimes was proof of their strength.

If the global ranking system measured Hunters in the light, Pandemonium had its own dark world ranking—exclusive to criminals.

And yet the Chairman called them “thugs.”

Hanul knew the Chairman had the right to say such things, but it still shocked him.

“I’m not scared. I’m just surprised you’re asking me to deal with guys like this all of a sudden.”

“You killed Ruyn Aspadam, didn’t you? Don’t be afraid of Pandemonium.”

At that, Hanul’s eyes widened.

“You knew?”

“There’s nothing I don’t know in Hyukcheon.”

The Chairman replied casually.

“I heard Ruyn Aspadam went berserk and you stopped him. Killed him solo, right?”

A smile crept onto the Chairman’s face.

“To think a disciple of Thunder Lord would fall to one of Hyukcheon’s member. That stubborn old man would be furious if he found out. Well done.”

Hanul had never met the Thunder Lord, but he could tell relations with Hyukcheon were strained.

“Do you trust what Catalina Blaga said?”

“You think I’m a fool?”

The Chairman replied firmly.

“She’s frighteningly perceptive. No way she didn’t know her own subordinate would die. That was her doing. I was going to confront her personally…”

His brow furrowed slightly.

“But she came with compensation first. Admitted it was her fault but claimed the Blaga Clan also suffered, so they’re victims too.”

Hanul felt a chill.

Could Catalina Blaga have intended for her own clan member to die?

“In that context, I couldn’t escalate things. I decided to let it go—for now.”

Suddenly, the Chairman pulled a phone from his drawer and tossed it to Hanul.

“What is this?”

“It’s a direct line to me. If Catalina Blaga tries anything suspicious again, contact me directly. I’ll declare war on the Blaga family immediately.”

Kwon Hanul swallowed hard. The small phone suddenly felt heavy in his hand.

“In any case, if you're strong enough to kill Ruyn Aspadam, you should be more than capable of handling this mission.”

“No… Even so, how am I supposed to handle a protection detail alone?”

When it comes to guarding someone, the number of people is more important than individual strength. After all, danger can strike from anywhere, anytime.

Even the mission briefing clearly stated that a full unit should be assigned.

“What happened to that confidence you showed at the auction? Didn't you boldly claim you’d make a name for yourself on the world stage?”

Kwon had no response. The chairman had a way of leaving him speechless.

“And strictly speaking, you’re not alone, are you? There’s also Hayun.”

“Is Miss Hayun allowed to join this mission?”

“There’s no reason she can’t. She’s currently assigned to protect you anyway.”

The chairman rested his chin on his hand and continued.

“If we assume the mission requires full capacity — ten-tenths — Hayun accounts for five, and you for three.”

Five-tenths.

That meant Joo Hayun was currently much stronger than Kwon Hanul.

Coming from someone like Kwon Seonwoo, a Transcendent, it had to be an accurate assessment.

“But that still leaves us two-tenths short.”

“You’ll have to cover that on your own.”

Kwon Hanul smacked his lips in frustration.

“There’s something I’d like to confirm.”

“What is it?”

“You said that if I formed a team, you’d provide full support, right?”

“I did. But don’t expect me to indulge any ridiculous requests.”

Kwon Seonwoo’s eyes glinted sharply, warning against any nonsense.

“Thank you for remembering. I’ll contact you once I’ve assembled the team.”

“Suit yourself. Anyway, time’s up. Get out.”

The twenty minutes they’d agreed upon had passed, and the chairman dismissed Kwon Hanul without hesitation. Kwon gave a short bow and was about to leave.

“Chan-seong — that bastard took down another SS-rank monster.”

Just before opening the door, the chairman’s voice rang out.

“I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but if you want to catch up to Chan-seong, you’d better hurry.”

For a moment, Kwon Hanul couldn’t believe his ears. Was he… actually concerned about me?

Pushing the thought aside, Kwon opened the door and stepped out.

* * *

“Did the meeting go well?”

Instead of answering, Kwon handed over a sheet of paper. Joo Hayun glanced at it and exclaimed in surprise.

“A protection mission. The suspected assassin is affiliated with Pandemonium… They’ve given you a tough assignment.”

“Tell me about it.”

“The real problem is the lack of personnel. We can’t take on a protection job with just the two of us… Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing.”

Just like the chairman, Joo Hayun didn’t seem too fazed by the name ‘Pandemonium.’

Exactly how strong is she to feel that way? Kwon couldn’t help but wonder.

“We still have time. We should focus on recruiting additional team members.”

“Team members, huh…”

Kwon trailed off. It wasn’t that he’d refused to form a team by choice.

He’d already reviewed data on solo hunters in the Hyukcheon Family. But not a single one met his standards.

“All the capable ones have already been scooped up by other teams.”

“Maybe your standards are too high, Mr. Kwon.”

“I can’t afford not to be.”

As Kwon Seonwoo had said, Kwon Hanul didn’t have time.

Even the obstacle standing right in front of him — Kwon Chan-seong — had already almost reached the level of a Transcendent. His team was top-tier as well.

There was only one way to catch up: recruit equally exceptional talent.

“I understand your position. But for this mission, we must increase our numbers — even if it’s just one more person.”

“Ugh.”

Hanul groaned. Hayun was right; time was running out.

“Let’s go over the list again. Or should we consider hiring mercenaries?”

“Do you have that kind of money?”

Hanul fell silent. Hiring mercenaries strong enough to fight Pandemonium’s villains would cost a fortune.

“I can’t believe I have to worry about money even after joining Hyukcheon…”

He looked up at the sky, sighing in frustration.

Just then, Joo Hayun smiled slightly.

“What’s with the smile?”

“I happen to have news that’s perfect for you.”

“News?”

“You know there was a recent graduation ceremony at the training center, right?”

Hanul nodded.

The training center was an institution established by the Hyukcheon Group to train hunters.

Hunters not of Hyukcheon bloodline received training there before joining the group.

“What about the graduation?”

Hanul hadn’t paid much attention to it. Compared to Hyukcheon’s bloodline, ordinary hunters simply didn’t measure up.

If someone with comparable talent had emerged, rumors would’ve already spread.

But there were none, so he hadn’t cared.

“Apparently, an exceptional talent showed up at that graduation.”

Hanul felt more skepticism than interest. Suddenly showing up out of nowhere?

“How exceptional are we talking?”

“Rumor has it even some purebloods of Hyukcheon wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Hanul’s doubt only grew. A genius of that level, and no one had heard a thing?

“Many squads are already trying to recruit this graduate.”

“Then they’ve probably already signed on with someone else.”

“Strangely enough, they’ve refused all offers.”

“Turned them all down?”

“Yes. So Hyukcheon assigned them temporarily to clean out dungeons near the main house.”

Hanul tilted his head. How had he not heard about such a standout?

“You’re not messing with me, right?”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“It just seems unlikely that such a skilled person suddenly appeared.”

“Ah, well, apparently they didn’t actually train at the center. They only joined the graduation symbolically.”

Now Hanul frowned in confusion.

“Who is this person, exactly?”

“Mei Hong.”

At first, he didn’t remember. Then it clicked.

“…No way.”

“Yes, it’s that woman who aided Hyukcheon during the war with the Mei Family.”

Hanul couldn’t hide his shock at the unexpected name.

“Mei Hong attended the graduation?”

“She was probably under investigation until now and has only just been formally accepted into Hyukcheon. That’s likely why she participated.”

It was a plausible guess, though they couldn’t be sure.

“Was Mei Hong really that strong?”

It wasn’t out of the question. She had represented the Mei Family in battle, after all.

“Of course, even if you meet her, there’s no guarantee she’ll join you. Many teams have already been rejected.”

With her skill, she could demand top treatment within the Hyukcheon Group.

There had to be a reason she’d turned everyone down.

“So, what will you do?”

After a moment’s thought, Kwon Hanul made up his mind.

“Let’s go see her.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]