Chapter 54

In the end, Yoon Sung-hyun came to England. It must have been a long and arduous journey, and all for the sake of making me join his company.

Maybe he had been beaten down at his headquarters. Either way, since a Partner Hunter of the famous Taebaek was coming, I couldn't exactly sit in the street over tteokbokki to talk.

With the help of the Hunter Association in England, I made preparations and waited for him.

“Did you come here to wage war?”

Yoon Sung-hyun entered with six hulking men. Sitting at the table, I couldn't help but comment when I saw the sight.

Was this supposed to be a negotiation, or intimidation? Did he also learn negotiation from another world?

“I will keep it short. When the transfer market opens, keep your promise.”

He spoke bluntly and handed me a document. It contained the conditions for me to become a Taebaek Hunter.

“A Partner Hunter huh. Originally, I was supposed to become a junior Hunter under Partner Hunter Yoon Sung-hyun, was I not?”

At my words, he answered.

“Taebaek is not stupid. We judged that you long ago surpassed that level. What you are looking at now is the best condition Taebaek can offer.”

The conditions were indeed excellent. Partner Hunters shared profits with the company for the contracts they secured, and the split was generous. I would have at least seventy-five Hunters under me.

On top of that, Taebaek had prepared all sorts of benefits and perks, proving just how much money the company raked in.

“You never intended to negotiate at all.”

For them to present such favorable terms from the start meant they had no intention of conceding anything further.

“That is correct.”

I put the papers down and said,

“I know Taebaek is different from other Hunter companies.”

Other Hunter companies had no owner. Partner Hunters worked together and divided profits. In other words, there was no master of the company.

But Taebaek had a representative. It meant the company had an owner. That was the one fundamental difference between Taebaek and other Hunter companies, proof that it was built on something else entirely.

“Yes. Representative Sung Sihoon is the master of Taebaek.”

Sung Sihoon, the Hunter famous for using telekinesis. Fittingly strong for the master of Taebaek, with several records of defeating first-class Erosion Cores.

But…

“I hear he has not been active lately.”

After Taebaek solidified its standing, he had done nothing as a Hunter. He didn't clear Erosion Cores, nor take contracts with nations or corporations.

He simply remained as the owner of Taebaek. Harshly put, a totem that lent the company prestige.

“The movements of the strong must carry weight.”

I laughed and replied.

“Can someone who doesn’t hunt be called a Hunter?”

A writer who does not write. An artist who does not paint. A lawmaker who never attends the assembly. A chef who never steps into the kitchen.

There is one clean word for all of them.

“Representative Sung Sihoon is a rich bum, isn’t he.”

“Watch your mouth. Flap it carelessly and you will vanish without a trace.”

His clenched fists cracked at the joints, and naturally the six hulks behind him scowled. The rich bum named Sung Sihoon at least kept his men loyal.

“What is so bad about a rich bum? What life could be better than that.”

That is my own ultimate goal. It was a compliment honestly.

Of course, in Sung Sihoon’s case, he was a rich bum in a world where people gnawed dried food-waste powder labeled as aid and were chewed like dog treats by monsters, despite having the power to stop it.

I slid the papers back across the table.

“I’ll have to refuse.”

Yoon Sung-hyun rose and spoke.

“That is not an option.”

The mood grew heavy. I smiled in disbelief and replied.

“I am not playing a video game here. What do you mean by options?”

He glared at me as if ready to swing. I rose too and met his eyes.

“The Korean government wants Korea to remain the strongest nation. Taebaek wants to remain the strongest company among Hunters.”

Their goal was not to erase the Erosion Zones. That was secondary, if even that.

Both the government and Taebaek were organizations whose purpose was to be the best, to remain the best, and to continue as the best. I didn't think that was necessarily a bad ambition.

Wanting to remain on top in a field was natural.

“But my goal is not the same as Taebaek’s.”

I sought something different. If someone was bound for Gangwon-do and another for Gyeongsang-do, riding in the same car would only lead to fights.

Better to save our strength and not waste time with pointless attempts.

But if that was their plan, they would not have created this oppressive atmosphere or brought six hulks with them in the first place.  

“It seems like words will not settle this.”

“Sadly, it seems not.”

With the mood shifted, polite speech no longer came from my mouth. Yoon Sung-hyun looked at me with a face full of disbelief.

“You think being famous makes you something?”

“It did make me something. You know that, come on.”

If you denied it, you would be lying. Deny it and Santa would beat you on Christmas you know?

He swung at me. With a sound of air tearing, his fist flew. I twisted its trajectory, and it smashed the air instead. The crash overturned the table and sent papers flying.

Negotiations were over. Not that it ever looked like they would succeed anyway.

“After a good beating, with a few bones broken, you will change your mind.”

“I am in awe of Taebaek’s fine negotiation manners.”

If words failed, fists did the talking. That was how the world worked. And I had not come unprepared. I pulled out the shortened spear at my side.

In a cramped space like this, the length had to be managed carefully to fight effectively.

“Since you are a fellow Hunter, I will not kill you.”

“That’s my line.”

I tossed back his cliché and dodged his strike. The uppercut aimed at my jaw missed, and the ceiling cracked under the shockwave.

It was less a punch and more a wrecking ball.

“Are you trying to make me submit, or smash my head like a watermelon?”

There was no answer. Yoon Sung-hyun and his six hulks moved to surround me.

“Do you rehearse this stuff?”

It was a coordinated formation. Yoon Sung-hyun pressed me while the six interfered with my movements. Their mana pressed on me like weights.

A kind of combined formation.

“Huh, you really learned something special huh.”

Of course, it was not the perfected formation that had been honed over generations by countless talents. Progress in technique needed time and people.

But even so, its performance was respectable. Layer after layer of pressure slowed my movements.

“This is your last chance. It is not too late even now.”

He smiled menacingly and offered again.

“…”

To break the formation, I couldn't target the ones holding it. I had to analyze the flow of mana itself, the pressure winding around me.

And the only one I needed to watch was Yoon Sung-hyun. He alone could move freely within the formation. The six others were bound by the need to maintain it.

“?!”

Focusing on him, I was caught off guard, failed to dodge, and had to block his punch. Pain throbbed in my arm as I was knocked back. I glared at him after.

He had aimed for my temple. If it had landed, it would have killed me instantly.

“This bastard. How should I interpret that attack just now?”

He was trying to kill me. That was what shocked me. His face hardened as he said,

“If you will not join Taebaek, then I will crush you here and now.”

That last strike had indeed carried that intent. My face twisted as I released mana. The flow around me wavered, the six hulks’ pressure faltering.

“It is frightening, isn’t it.”

The spear in my hand burst into black flame. He had tried to kill me, so I was not about to think like an idiot about sparing a fellow Hunter.

“From now on, even a graze will leave you half-dead.”

Let him try if he dared. One of the six lunged, swinging his sword. I struck it aside with the spear tip and pressed my burning palm to his chest.

“…?!”

The black fire spread instantly, burning away every muscle of strength. His eyelids drooped, his breathing muscles failed, and his breath stopped.

When even his heartbeat faltered, he collapsed dead. With no more muscle left to burn, the Paradoxical Flame went out. I flicked the spear and looked back at Yoon Sung-hyun.

“You can follow your underling to the grave.”

“You think you will survive after killing a Taebaek Hunter!”

He shouted wildly. I picked at my ear and replied.

“And you thought you would survive after trying me?”

No, him trying me was fine. I had thought he only wanted to pressure me, but not kill. If the intent was not lethal, I would not have gone so far either.

But that was not the case.

“Thousands of Taebaek Hunters will come for your head. Taebaek does not forgive those who kill one of us!”

So should I beg for mercy? I drove the spear into the floor with a thud.

“I already understand what kind of creed your company runs on.”

Did he think I had never seen an organization like Taebaek? I looked at him coldly.

“I will kill you and tell Taebaek straight. We fought because words failed, and because you were weak, you died. Yoon Sung-hyun was not a Hunter fit for Taebaek.”

Sending him back alive would only mean his death anyway. I might as well handle it myself.

At that, he fell silent.

“Organizations like Taebaek always think it natural for the weak to die to the strong.”

That was one of the principles of survival of the fittest. I didn't entirely agree, but it was their law.

“Even so, do you think Taebaek will let an outsider decide the fate of its Hunters!”

“Of course not. But Taebaek will have two choices once they hear you were killed by me.”

One, panic like a colt stabbed in the flank, and send people immediately to kill me.

Or two, fabricate a better excuse to justify attacking me.

Taebaek would choose the second. They couldn't afford to act over the shame of one of their Partner Hunters, no matter how famous, dying to a rookie not even a year into the job.

That would be humiliating beyond repair. Instead, they would prepare another pretext and come for me with that.

And that would take time.

“Yoon Sung-hyun, Taebaek cannot do anything to me.”

I had a mind, and plans of my own. By the time Taebaek was ready to strike, I would be ready too.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.