Episode 35
The dwarf had a blank expression on his face, as if he had just experienced the most absurd thing in the world.
It wasn’t a crowd.
The guy I sent out to find a new mine threw all the minerals away and brought back some beggar.
The man, with his face covered by a bag, was lying on the floor like an insect, his hands and feet tied tightly.
It looked like it was dead at first glance because it wasn’t moving, but fortunately it was still breathing.
“Are you not looking for the mine I told you to find, but are instead staging a kidnapping?”
The dwarf had no idea why he was doing this in front of someone else’s workshop.
“I can’t think of a time when I would hide someone. Haha… … .”
“Are you sitting here and calling that an answer right now?”
As the dwarf was about to swing the hammer he was holding, Kang Jin-hyeok quickly held out a sword.
It was the sword he took from the bartender, Choi Seo-hoon.
“Just take a look at this knife.”
“What do you want me to do with you? I can produce three more of these things a day!”
“No, look at the material used in this sword.”
Only then did the dwarf put down his hammer and grab the sword that Kang Jinhyeok had handed him.
The dwarf snorted after figuring out all the materials and craftsmanship used in the sword just by looking at it.
“The material is useful iron. But who made it to make such a shoddy work?”
“I think you think so too, sir. I also brought it because I felt it was a waste of ingredients.”
“Oh my… … .”
The dwarf noticed what Kang Jinhyuk’s intentions were in showing him the sword.
“Instead of coming to the mine, you brought this?”
It was certainly better to bring in iron that had already been refined rather than mining it from the raw ore.
However, it was an amount that was woefully inadequate to satisfy the dwarves.
“But what can I do with just this one thing? At least pack a bundle neatly and bring it with you.”
“I’m going to do that from now on.”
What Kang Jin-hyeok was pointing at this time was Choi Seo-hoon lying on the floor.
“What does that have to do with him?”
“The organization that gave him that sword was the one that looked after this guy.”
“Organization? Are you saying that you’re connected with a criminal group?”
“That’s right. Judging from the fact that they gave valuable items to even the little guys, I think it must be quite large in scale.”
“Oh, really. How did you end up fighting with those guys?”
“The guys approached Lucia first with the intention of human trafficking.”
After hearing Kang Jin-hyeok’s explanation, the dwarf made a puzzled expression as if he didn’t understand.
“They’re good kids. How can they be a criminal organization?”
“This fucking punk is really… …!”
Lucia, who had been quietly listening from the side, got really upset.
The dwarf adjusted his grip on his hammer as he approached, pulling a dagger from his pocket.
“Oh, you want to have a go at it?”
Kang Jin-hyeok quickly stopped them before things got worse.
“Hey, let’s not do this here, let’s just conduct the interrogation as planned.”
It was said to calm Lucia down, but it was the dwarf who answered.
“If you’re going to do it, do it somewhere else. I don’t really want to see a guy screaming.”
The dwarf waved his hand as if to shoo away a guest and frowned.
“You don’t mind goblin screams, but you don’t like human screams? That’s just selfish of you.”
“It’s in front of my workshop, so it’s natural for me to do as I please, my dear.”
Kang Jin-hyeok thought that there was some truth to the dwarf’s argument.
But Lucia spoke as if it was nothing like that and as if it was funny.
“This dungeon isn’t even yours, yet you’re making a fuss about something. Are you short and narrow because of your height?”
“You little punks, this is enough to break a pot. Where do you want to try it?”
Kang Jin-hyeok placed his hand on his forehead as he stood between the dwarf and Lucia, who were glaring at each other fiercely as if trying to create sparks by gathering their gazes.
The sigh he let out was as if it could pierce through the dungeon floor.
While I was wondering what story I should bring up to calm them both down.
A voice was heard that caught the attention of Dwarf Lucia on behalf of Kang Jinhyeok.
“Uuuuup! Uuup!!”
Choi Seo-hoon, who was lying on the floor, showed with his whole body that he had regained consciousness by wriggling with an envelope over his face.
It was natural to panic when I opened my eyes but couldn’t see anything and my hands and feet were tied.
But Lucia had no intention of showing leniency even if the other person’s reasons were valid.
“Keep your mouth shut.”
As soon as Lucia hit his head, which was covered with an envelope, Choi Seo-hoon immediately fell to his knees.
No matter how he looked at it, Kang Jin-hyeok could only see the moment when his head was shattered and he died.
“What if I kill the person I brought as a hostage?”
“Don’t worry. You won’t die from this.”
I say this with some confidence, but no matter how much I think about it, what just unfolded was a murder.
Kang Jin-hyeok, who could not shake off his doubts, cautiously approached Choi Seo-hoon and checked his breathing.
“… … You’re not breathing?”
“uh?”
Lucia, who had been laughing while telling him not to joke, broke out in a cold sweat when she saw Kang Jinhyuk’s serious gaze.
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Choi Seo-Hoon, who returned to this world just before crossing the Samdo River thanks to drinking the potion, was currently trapped in an unidentified facility.
Something is covering his face, so he can’t see his surroundings.
Judging from the echoing voices, I could tell it was a closed space.
‘I think I can smell something burning here… … .’
Choi Seo-hoon learned the lesson that he would get hit if he moved his body again, so this time he kept his mouth shut.
While pretending to lose consciousness to buy time, Choi Seo-hoon thought about how to escape the current situation.
‘Damn it! First of all, what should I do with this rope!’
Choi Seo-hoon could tell from the slight movement of his hands and feet that the rope was something that would not come undone with just a little strength.
What kind of materials did they use to make a rope that is impervious to even the Hunter’s evil power?
Choi Seo-hoon gave up on escaping by force, thinking that it might be an item.
“Isn’t this kid pretending to sleep while thinking outside the box?”
Choi Seo-hoon’s shoulders flinched when he heard a familiar voice speaking.
A beautiful voice with a thin, high-pitched tone.
It was a beautiful voice that naturally brought to mind a beautiful woman’s face just by listening to it, but Choi Seo-hoon remembered who it belonged to.
‘So that’s the woman who brought me here… …!’
The woman my colleague brought in, saying she was a good target.
Choi Seo-hoon, recalling what had happened just a few minutes ago, was so upset that he was going crazy.
‘If it weren’t for that hunter who came with that girl, things wouldn’t have ended up like this.’
Because he chose the wrong person, he ended up being kidnapped instead of being a human trafficker.
Even though life is something you never know how it will turn out, this was a flow that was wildly different from what I expected.
No matter how much Choi Seo-Hoon thought about it, he couldn’t understand why someone who could take on eight C-class hunters at the same time was wandering around the streets instead of hunting monsters.
‘You weren’t doing any undercover work, were you?’
When Choi Seo-hoon’s thoughts reached that point, he began to refute them and deny the thoughts that had come to his mind.
‘No, the police in this area are in league with Tyrant. There’s no way they’re going to investigate now.’
After considering several possibilities, Choi Seo-hoon slowly opened his mouth.
“Are you guys from Altron?”
A hunter with extraordinary skills. And the fact that Tyrant attacked them while they were watching from behind led Choi Seo-hoon to conclude that it was an attack by the ‘Altron’ guild.
“I don’t know who told you this, but you’d better stop touching us.”
“Really? Why?”
“The Altron Guild will be destroyed soon!”
Choi Seo-hoon brought up the issue as a threat in his own way.
It was a threat that might have worked if he had really been a member of the Altron Guild.
If Altron and Tyrant were to clash head-on, it was obvious that Tyrant, with its influence extending to the black market and politics, would have the upper hand.
But contrary to his thoughts, his opponent was not a hunter belonging to Altron.
“Are you planning to start a war?”
“War? No! It’s massacre!”
Choi Seo-hoon started to giggle and chatter like he was possessed by something.
In front of the real-time spectacle of people going crazy, Kang Jin-hyeok quietly put down the murderous tools he was holding in his hands.
“I think you’ll be able to speak fluently without any torture.”
Lucia also agreed with Kang Jin-hyeok’s opinion.
“I burned some herbs that had hallucinogenic properties to make it easier to confess… … but I didn’t know it would be this easy to understand.”
When I caught him at the bar, he acted like he had absolutely nothing to say.
Choi Seo-hoon was so intoxicated by cheap herbs that only made him dizzy that he talked like he had a motor in his mouth.
Kang Jin-hyeok tightly adjusted his mask, fearing that he too might say something unspoken.
“So, if we just extract the important information, it seems that the guild that is looking after those guys is the ‘Tyrant’ guild.”
“What kind of people are they?”
“One of the largest guilds in our country.”
Tyrant was a guild that had two S-class hunters and had strong influence worldwide.
Considering their size, they were absolutely not an opponent that could be taken on by individual force.
“I think this is a much more difficult opponent than I expected.”
“Then what? Let’s wash our hands of it here?”
“That’s a bit of a shame.”
Kang Jin-hyeok thought that now was the right time to do something, as the Altron Guild and the Tyrant Guild were keeping each other in check.
A frontal assault would be impossible, but it seemed like it might be possible to attack one of the small branches.
Even if they find out, they will probably misunderstand and say it is the work of the Altron Guild.
“How can we possibly commit massacre? Our forces are equal.”
Choi Seo-hoon’s fury grew even more intense when he was asked questions by Kang Jin-hyeok.
It was evidence that he was losing his senses due to continuously inhaling the smoke from burning herbs.
Choi Seo-hoon, who had almost lost his judgment, revealed a secret that he would take to the grave.
“Why, why! It’s because the welcome party will be completed soon!”
“What do you mean, Hwandan?”
“Yes. Welcome to Alaune! Kikikik!”
Even though Choi Seo-hoon revealed a shocking truth, Kang Jin-hyeok didn’t really know what it was.
Contrary to expectations, it was Lucia who reacted more sensitively.
“Are you guys out of your minds!?”
Lucia grabbed Choi Seo-Hoon by the collar with a pale face.
“Do you know what that thing is?!”
“Ki-ki-ki! I knew it! It’s a miraculous item that will more than double your abilities if you just take it!”
Lucia couldn’t hold back the laughter ringing in her ears and ended up swinging her fist.
Choi Seo-hoon still couldn’t stop laughing even after he fell to the floor tied to a chair.
When Lucia, still angry, lifted her foot, Kang Jin-hyeok stepped forward in shock.
“Why all of a sudden!”
“Are you asking because you don’t know? You heard what these crazy guys are trying to make!”
Although he had heard it, Kang Jin-hyeok could not sympathize with Lucia’s anger at all.
It was only natural that anyone would covet the magic potion that would double your abilities simply by taking it.
There was no reason to be angry, let alone greedy.
“What about that welcome drink? Are there any side effects if I take it?”
“Side effects? It’s better if there are any!”
If it was something you eat and die for, you wouldn’t even think about making it.
Lucia glared at Kang Jin-hyeok as she said that.
“… … .”
As time passed and her boiling emotions calmed down somewhat, Lucia opened her mouth with a short sigh.
“In order to see the effects of Alaune’s flower, dozens of humans must be used as fertilizer.”
“What? A human?”
“Yes, and besides, Alaune is a picky eater and only uses young women as fertilizer.”
The idea that it would be more effective if she was a virgin did not reach Kang Jin-hyeok’s ears.
The only thing on his mind was the fact that he was using people as fertilizer to create a welcome party.
“These bastards… … !”
Kang Jin-hyeok raised Choi Seo-hoon, who had fallen, back up.
And this time, he stretched out his fist and hit Choi Seo-hoon’s face, which was covered by the envelope, with all his might.
“You guys are still human after doing that!”
Even with a broken nose and broken teeth, Choi Seo-hoon couldn’t stop laughing.
He was so deeply intoxicated by hallucinogens that he could no longer feel any pain.
“Why are you so angry? If you had an item like that, wouldn’t you be hell-bent on getting it?”
“Don’t be X-ing! Do you think I’m the same as you guys?!”
Even though becoming stronger is the wish of all hunters, there is a line that must be maintained.
The welcome of Alaune that Choi Seo-hoon speaks of was an extremely evil method that crossed that line without hesitation.
“If it’s a large guild, there are plenty of hunting grounds! Why are you touching things like that?”
“Leveling up takes a long time and is annoying, right? Don’t you know how much slower your growth is compared to that of an A-rank hunter?”
It was common sense that as the level increased, the amount of experience points needed to level up increased.
Especially if you’re one of the few S-class hunters in the world.
It was no longer possible to grow just by catching monsters.
“With Alaune’s welcome, the Tyrant Guild Master will surpass S-class!”
To become the world’s only leader.
Choi Seo-hoon answered with a madman, saying that was the purpose of the Tyrant Guild Leader.
“Do you think I’ll let that happen?”
“You want to try to stop it? The welcome party will be finished in a week, so if you rush in now, you might be able to do it.”
Choi Seo-hoon openly criticized Kang Jin-hyeok head-on.
How could he, a mere C-rank hunter, possibly take on the largest guild in Korea, which has two S-rank hunters?
The intention was to make you feel the pitiful state of knowing that you have been told the completion period, but being unable to do anything about it.
“… … Are you growing Alaune’s flowers directly within the guild?”
“No way. If they get caught, they’ll have to be cut off, so of course they’re raising them in secret in a place where there are no people.”
Choi Seo-hoon did not realize that he was saying unfavorable things.
He was still under the illusion that he was mocking Kang Jin-hyeok.
So, I volunteered and told the truth without being asked.
“If we attack after midnight, it might be easier since two-thirds of the guards will be gone.”
While kindly explaining the situation to the border guards.
“But the A-class hunters take turns guarding the positions, so breaking through would be suicidal!”
Kang Jin-hyeok even listed some things to watch out for so that he doesn’t overdo it.
Kang Jin-hyeok, who thought he had all the information he needed, closed the notebook he had been writing notes in.
And to think about what to do with Choi Seo-Hoon, who has become useless.
I asked him one question.
“How many women have you kidnapped so far?”
“Well? About twenty people?”
Even though he was doing something that was like using people as fertilizer, Choi Seo-hoon talked about it as if it was nothing.
Then he started laughing like a crazy person again.
He kept laughing all the way back after a cup of tea, and even started telling stories I hadn’t even asked about.
“Hehehehe! What a shame. The woman you brought today was a really good thing.”
“… … .”
“It might not be as effective if she’s not a virgin, but if she’s that good, it’s a shame to just bury her!”
As the smoke in the enclosed space grew thicker, Choi Seo-hoon’s laughter grew louder.
And every time he heard his laughter, Kang Jin-hyeok’s expression gradually hardened.
“Some women think they’ll be spared if they just stay still. That’s ridiculous! Hahahahaha!!”
Choi Seo-hoon laughed so hard that he shook his body, thinking that he had made a witty joke.
The moment Kang Jin-hyeok, unable to bear it any longer, picked up the tool he had put down.
Lucia moved a step ahead of him and hit Choi Seo-hoon’s head with a hammer.
A hammer much smaller than the one used by the dwarves would be enough to crush a human head.
After a dull sound like a watermelon breaking, the laughter in the room disappeared cleanly.
The envelope covering Choi Seo-hoon’s head instantly turned red.
Lucia shrugged her shoulders as she looked at Kang Jinhyuk’s blank expression.
“Is there anything else you wanted to hear?”
Kang Jin-hyeok answered her question by shaking his head from side to side.
