Episode 73
The hottest issue among hunters these days is definitely the new guild ‘Pantheon’.
Not only did they take over Tyrant’s territory, which many large guilds were eyeing, but they also took over Titan’s territory.
Pantheon, despite being a new guild, has the largest influence.
Many hunters have wondered how the Pantheon can monopolize such vast powers.
The swallowing of Titan’s territory was explained by the recruitment of S-class hunter Seo Sang-ho.
The reason for absorbing Tyrant’s forces was not otherwise known.
All the Hunters knew was that the Association had officially recognized the Pantheon’s power.
‘Could it be that he slipped some money into the association?’
‘Most of the association’s executives must have been boiled.’
Since the appearance of Pantheon, many rumors have been circulating on the Internet.
And the most notable of these were the contents about the guild leaders in the Pantheon.
‘Why isn’t Seo Sang-ho the guild leader?’
‘If an S-class hunter isn’t the guild leader, then who else?’
‘You’re saying that no one knows who the guild leader is?’
‘I heard that the guild leader was the one who caught Kang Jun-tae and Jo Won-cheol?’
‘How can such a strong hunter not have any information?’
Numerous media outlets have tried to find out who the Pantheon’s guild master is, but to no avail.
Even the association’s staff, who were in collusion with the reporters, were unable to find out anything about the Pantheon’s guild leader.
As a result, all kinds of speculations were rampant on the Internet.
Something like an SS-class hunter that the association has been hiding.
Or, they were all just empty stories with no basis, like the fact that he was a conglomerate with nothing but money.
“Huh huh… … .”
Choi Si-yoon, who is in charge of qualification examination at the association, smiled while looking at internet articles on his cell phone.
Choi Si-yoon felt superior because he knew secrets that others didn’t.
“Do you want to see something fun?”
“Oh, no. It’s nothing.”
Choi Si-yoon put his cell phone in his pocket and pressed the button next to him to open the door.
Beyond the door was a space with white walls and floors, filled with all sorts of items, including sandbags.
Choi Si-yoon entered the measuring room with the person accompanying him.
Then he guided him straight to the sandbag.
“You’ve done it a few times, so you know how to do it without me explaining it, right?”
“Ugh… … .”
Kang Jin-hyeok sighed and stood in front of the sandbag.
“How many times are you going to make me do the same thing? I’m starting to get annoyed.”
“This is the last time, so please bear with it just this once.”
Because of the suspicious executives of the association, Kang Jin-hyeok was dragged into the measuring room seven times in one month.
The ability to defeat two S-class hunters at the same time.
What the association’s executives wanted was proof of that ability.
I know it’s a hard fact to accept, but this attitude of treating people like lab rats made Kang Jin-hyeok uncomfortable.
Kang Jin-hyeok put all his frustration into his fist and hit the sandbag in front of him with all his might.
The sandbag, specially made for A-class or higher hunters, exploded like a balloon as soon as Kang Jin-hyeok’s fist touched it.
“The explosions are louder than usual today.”
Choi Si-yoon indifferently wrote down the record on the chart in his hand.
When I first saw it, I was really surprised, but now that I’ve seen it 7 times, I don’t feel anything special.
“Now, can you just go to the corner and run along the line?”
“Yes, please.”
In addition to running, they underwent all sorts of procedures, including measuring grip strength, reaction speed, and even psychological tests.
Only after two full hours had passed was Kang Jin-hyeok able to leave the measurement room.
Kang Jin-hyeok felt relieved, thinking that this would be the last time he would waste precious time like this.
“It’s all over now, right?”
“Ah… … . There’s one more thing today.”
“… … .”
Choi Si-yoon witnessed Kang Jin-hyeok’s face being crumpled without mercy.
“I know you’re upset, but you said it would only happen once, so please bear with it just this once.”
“What on earth are we going to measure this time?”
“This is real life.”
“Actual?”
Choi Si-yoon took Kang Jin-hyeok, who was looking puzzled, and guided him to the basement of the association headquarters.
While guiding them through the complicated road to their destination, Choi Si-yoon suddenly remembered one thing.
Once this is over, there will be no more contact between Kang Jin-hyeok and her.
Kang Jin-hyeok is a person that the association is actively trying to keep secret, so it will be difficult to meet him in person in the future.
Choi Si-yoon decided to ask the question he had been curious about on this occasion.
“Excuse me, Mr. Kang Jin-hyeok.”
“Yes, why?”
“I heard that other hunters can hunt in the Pantheon’s territory. Is that true?”
“Not everyone, only hunters without a guild can do it.”
In exchange for providing a location, non-guilded hunters must pay 5% of the profits they earn.
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The low-ranking hunters were overcome with joy when they heard this news.
They had to pay 5% of their profits, but that was essentially a protection fee.
Thanks to the Pantheon’s guild members patrolling the territory, low-level hunters can operate without worrying about their prey being stolen.
A space where you can hunt without worrying about the territories of other large guilds.
It was a place that the unfortunate hunters had been desperately hoping for.
“Why did you choose that method?”
“I’ve lived as a D-rank for a long time, so I know how annoying other guilds are.”
I don’t do to others what made me feel bad.
Kang Jin-hyeok thought that if only this could be observed, the world would become a better place to live in.
“There’s no law that says you can’t hunt just because your rank is low.”
“I know what you’re trying to do, but that won’t make any money.”
“So, we’re planning to create a place where guild members can hunt separately.”
“You’re making it? How?”
“That’s a secret.”
Even though we became close because we saw each other often, I couldn’t tell him more than that.
When Kang Jin-hyeok flatly refused to reveal it, Choi Si-yoon gave up and continued guiding.
The place Kang Jin-hyeok eventually arrived at was a space decorated like a colosseum.
Kang Jin-hyeok took a deep breath as he saw the association executives sitting around him.
“Are you planning to have a duel here?”
“It’s not a duel, it’s a simple test.”
“It’s a test… … . How many people do you have to manipulate to feel better?”
Choi Si-yoon was not in a position to answer that question specifically.
She was just a person who followed orders from above.
Kang Jin-hyeok also realized that fact and stopped complaining to Choi Si-yoon.
The annoying thing is that it should have been addressed directly to the parties involved.
Kang Jin-hyeok lightly rolled his feet and jumped several meters in one breath.
The association executives were startled and stood up when Kang Jin-hyeok stormed into the stands.
The hunters who had been standing guard stepped forward, but Kang Jin-hyeok didn’t even glance at them.
“Hello. What are you suspicious of that made you create a place like this?”
The association’s executives were unable to answer right away and just looked at each other.
Eventually, one of the few executives with some authority came forward and spoke.
“There isn’t any real-world data, right? That’s why I wanted to find out about it on this occasion.”
“What the hell is actual data? Just show me the video.”
“that…….”
“Just say something like, ‘It might be a composite.’ I’ll throw away the contract and everything immediately.”
The executive, who was struck by Kang Jin-hyeok’s words, kept his mouth shut.
Looking at that sight, Kang Jin-hyeok couldn’t help but sigh.
“No matter how many times I prove it’s real, you still won’t believe me. What’s the point of me playing along now?”
It’s obvious that they’ll make a fuss again because they can’t believe it anyway.
It was natural for Kang Jin-hyeok, who had been repeating the same measurement process for a month, to think that way.
“It’s not that you don’t trust me. It’s just that I don’t trust you anymore. No matter what I show you, you don’t believe me.”
“You cheeky bastard.”
The one who pointed out Kang Jin-hyeok’s succinct attitude was the hunter ‘Park Ha-cheol’ who accompanied him as an escort.
He was a strong man of considerable fame, using spiked knuckles as his main weapon.
Although he was an A-class hunter, his skills were recognized by the association to the point that there were opinions that he would eventually rise to S-class over time.
Just by looking at the fact that the executive personally designated him as his escort, you could guess how much trust he had.
Kang Jin-hyeok pointed his finger at the person and questioned the executives.
“If my existence is a secret, why did you bring a common hunter who isn’t even an executive?”
“Ah, that’s for escort… … .”
“Escort? Why did I come here to find you guys?”
It was completely incomprehensible that they brought an escort when they had agreed to work together.
Kang Jin-hyeok could not fathom the extent to which the association’s executives distrusted him.
“… … Okay. Hit me.”
“what?”
Kang Jin-hyeok came down from the stands and headed straight for the exit.
“Where are you going now!”
When the executive called him over, Kang Jin-hyeok snorted.
“I can’t stand this shit, trying to please you guys. I’m going to stop, so go find someone else.”
After hearing that, Park Ha-cheol jumped down from the stands and followed Kang Jin-hyeok.
Then he landed in front of Kang Jin-hyeok and blocked his path with his body.
“Don’t you know you can’t leave here until you get permission?”
“What do you know? I said I’d go out.”
His attitude of not knowing anything about the association’s policies greatly irritated Park Ha-cheol.
As someone who had received the association’s favor and was thus in charge of protecting the executives, I couldn’t just pass it by.
I knew that Kang Jin-hyeok was strong.
However, Park Ha-cheol thought that he could seize the opportunity to win by striking a surprise attack.
The existence of a skill that he had recently acquired and told no one about was giving Park Ha-cheol confidence.
‘If I knock this guy down here… … .’
He might receive the benefits the association promised to give to Kang Jin-hyeok.
Thinking like that, Park Ha-cheol became greedy.
“Don’t just stand there and do nothing. Get out of the way.”
When Kang Jin-hyeok tried to push past with his hand, Park Ha-cheol thought this was his chance and extended his hand.
But before the skill could be activated, Kang Jin-hyeok moved first.
thud.
Park Ha-cheol fell to the floor with his fists clenched.
I couldn’t even tell when or where it happened.
It was only after the pain surged from his abdomen that he realized what had happened.
“Ugh… … !”
Kang Jin-hyeok left Park Ha-cheol lying there groaning and headed back to the entrance.
But this time, another person was blocking his path.
This time, it would have been easier to just beat him up and get away with it, but Kang Jin-hyeok didn’t take action rashly.
The person blocking his path now was none other than the head of the association, Kim Sang-jae.
“I feel like there was a big mistake while I was away. I’m sorry.”
The association president bowed his head and apologized to Kang Jin-hyeok.
“I will definitely punish the executives who brought separate escorts because they didn’t trust you. So, won’t you just endure it this once?”
“What’s the point of holding back? It’s obvious that they’ll start a fuss here asking me to prove something.”
“No. In fact, the fact that it’s real-world data is just an excuse, and this is a meeting I created because there’s someone who really wants to meet you.”
“Who is that?”
Instead of answering, the association president pointed to the person across from him.
Kang Jin-hyeok followed the hand and looked back, discovering a familiar face.
Although this was their first time meeting in person, Kang Jin-hyeok knew the other person’s face well.
The reason he wanted to meet Kang Jin-hyeok was because he was the association’s secret weapon and the strongest of the S-class hunters in the country.
