Chapter 6
Setting Things Right (5)
The elite members of the Garam Guild were regrouping before dispersing, having just returned from successfully clearing an un-conquered gate that had appeared in Asan.
“Seriously, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Who would have guessed that the core was actually on the bottom of its foot?” “I know, right? It was a newly discovered magical beast—how did he know that?” “Do they teach that kind of stuff in the Cradle?” “Don’t be stupid. Even if they did teach it, do you really think Jung Hyun-soo would be the one to know? The guy barely even shows up to class.”
The raiding party was buzzing with conversation about Jung Hyun-soo, who had accurately pinpointed the weakness of the newly appeared A-rank magical beast.
“Well, it’s a fact that thanks to him, our casualties were kept to a minimum.” “Oh, come on. To be honest, Senior, it’s not like you actually believed him when you struck, right?” “True. I just shot my last remaining arrow at it because he happened to mention a core being there.” “And the moment it burst, the bastard was completely staggered.”
The gate’s boss raid had ended incredibly easily.
Thanks to him, they had cut down their time, successfully cleared an A-rank gate without a single casualty, and set a new record. The public’s estimation of the Garam Guild was bound to soar.
It was right then, amidst their blooming conversation.
BOOM!
Something crashed down from the sky as if a meteor had fallen.
Ssssshh.
A muscular man emerged, his entire body radiating an aura that resembled rising smoke.
“Who goes there?” “I am Chae Kwang-seop.”
Chae Kwang-seop was a prominent executive of the Songkwang Guild. The insignia of the Songkwang Guild was clearly pinned to the chest of the suit he was wearing.
“Even if you are an executive of Songkwang, this is unacceptable. This is a restricted area belonging to Garam.” “Unacceptable? You dare cross Songkwang first and then talk about what’s unacceptable?” “Cross you? What do you mean by that?” “Out of the way, small fry! I am here to see your Guild Master!”
Chae Kwang-seop recklessly tried to head up to the upper floors, and Garam’s raiding party naturally blocked his path.
“Step aside.” “If you were in our shoes, would you step aside?” “Know your place and pick your battles. Unless you want to regret it in the afterlife.” “No matter how grand Songkwang’s influence is, your words are completely crossing the line.” “You bastards crossed the line first!” “What do you mean we crossed the line?”
Everyone’s gaze shifted toward a heavy, booming voice that completely suppressed Chae Kwang-seop’s shouting.
“Guild Master!” “It’s fine. Everyone, step back.”
At the appearance of Garam’s Guild Master, Jung Chul, Chae Kwang-seop let out a smirk.
“You finally show your face.” “Finally?” “I must take your troublemaking son back to Songkwang immediately.” “Troublemaking?” “If you refuse, then you, Guild Master, had better give me a proper explanation.”
Jung Chul gazed intently at Chae Kwang-seop, whose aggressive tone reflected the recent string of encroachments Songkwang Guild had been making into Garam’s territory.
“An explanation for what?” “Haven’t I already told you?! Seung-jin, the successor of Songkwang, was assaulted by your eldest son!”
The successor of the Songkwang Guild, who specialized in martial arts, had had all his limbs broken and his ribs shattered.
However, those physical injuries could be healed using Songkwang’s resources.
The definitive issue was the psychological trauma.
“Just what kind of underhanded trick did he pull to completely shatter the boy’s mind?! He has fallen into a state of mental deviation! Internal madness!” “An underhanded trick?” “Are you asking because you truly don’t know? If it wasn’t some dirty trick, how could that good-for-nothing degenerate of Garam possibly reduce Seung-jin to such a state?!”
Chae Seung-jin was one of the most highly anticipated prospects in the Cradle. Unlike Chae Seung-jin, who was deemed the future leader of South Korea, Garam’s Jung Hyun-soo was publicly perceived as nothing more than a useless mutt sired by a tiger, constantly causing trouble.
“Do you honestly believe your eldest son could defeat Seung-jin in a fair, head-to-head fight?”
If Jung Chul had known nothing, he wouldn’t have been able to deny it.
However, right before the raid, Jung Chul had personally confirmed the advancement of his son’s Hwancheon Genuine Qi realm.
“It is entirely possible.”
At that response, Chae Kwang-seop scoffed.
“Ha. So this is how you’re going to play it?” “While my son’s conduct leaves much to be desired, when it comes to sheer ability, I believe he is second to none among the children of the Top Ten Guilds.”
Jung Chul had reached the Seventh Realm of Hwancheon Genuine Qi at the age of fifteen. However, one shouldn’t just look at the age it was achieved.
It was because this change came from a boy who, until a mere six months ago, had been struggling miserably at the First Realm.
He didn’t know what had happened, but it certainly wasn’t through illegal means.
Hwancheon Genuine Qi—and by extension, the Five Kings’ Martial Arts—was not a discipline that allowed for easy shortcuts or cheap tricks.
“You expect me to believe that? The whole world knows exactly what kind of person Garam’s successor is!” “Even as a parent, there are things I do not know about my own child. How can you be so certain?” “What?” “Furthermore.”
An explosive aura began to erupt from Jung Chul’s body.
The Tyrant Qi—the most dominant and ruthless power within the Five Kings’ Martial Arts, which Jung Hyun-soo had requested last night—was now manifesting from Jung Chul.
“Can you handle the consequences?” “What…?” “I am asking if a mere executive like you can handle acting so overbearingly toward the head of one of the Top Ten Guilds.”
The pressure radiating from Jung Chul was beyond imagination.
Temporarily left speechless by a dominant power that rivaled the master of Songkwang himself, Chae Kwang-seop quickly tried to recover his composure.
“It seems you are still unaware of the situation, Guild Master.”
Chae Kwang-seop curled his lips into an ominous smirk.
“Songkwang came here to offer Garam a chance, so it’s quite disappointing to be treated like this.” “…” “Evidence is already circulating that Jung Hyun-soo has been distributing illegal artifacts and dabbled in Manasia.”
Jung Chul’s expression did not change in the slightest.
Seeing Jung Chul show absolutely no emotion, Chae Kwang-seop merely assumed he was bluffing.
“But if you act this way, Guild Master, even we at Songkwang won’t be able to help you.”
It was right then.
“That’s all total bullshit.”
Jung Hyun-soo stepped into Garam Guild’s restricted area.
Of course, he arrived with both arms restrained by the guards who had noticed his unauthorized escape and chased after him.
“…Bullshit?” “I know you’re feeling riding high after blasting that nonsense to the media just now, but even so, you shouldn’t act so recklessly in someone else’s house. It’s sloppy.”
At Jung Hyun-soo’s words, Chae Kwang-seop’s face contorted.
“Jung Hyun-soo.” “How can I stay quiet when he’s talking absolute garbage?” “Have you forgotten my words to act like a human being, even if the other party behaves like a beast?” “It’s been a while, so I just remembered. I’ll engrave it into my mind.” “The executive of Songkwang claims you distributed illegal artifacts and dabbled in Manasia. Is this true?” “Not at all.”
Chae Kwang-seop sneered.
However, Jung Chul’s gaze remained fixed only on Jung Hyun-soo.
“Is it true that you harmed Chae Seung-jin, the eldest son of Songkwang?” “Yes.” “Why did you do it?” “He was trying to blackmail Hyun-ah using ridiculous, fabricated facts.” “And?” “I told him to cut it out, but he tried to suppress me with force, so I just paid him back in kind.”
Jung Chul’s gaze then shifted to Jung Hyun-ah, who had followed closely behind.
“Jung Hyun-soo… is telling the truth, Father. That bastard Chae Seung-jin threatened me, bringing up illegal artifacts and Manasia.” “So it seems.” “In the end, you choose a losing move.”
Chae Kwang-seop’s gaze drifted toward a large outdoor electronic billboard on the rooftop across from them.
It was a live news broadcast featuring an anchor, and Jung Hyun-ah’s eyes began to tremble.
“That’s…”
It was the video Chae Seung-jin had created as a “taste” of what was to come when he was blackmailing Jung Hyun-ah.
The video continued to play.
A young man carrying something in a bag was walking down a dark alleyway.
From behind, the figure looked undeniably like Jung Hyun-soo.
The reporter’s commentary went on.
“Now, even if we wanted to help, we can no longer do so.”
Jung Chul, Jung Hyun-ah, and everyone else from the Garam Guild stared blankly at the screen.
Had Jung Hyun-soo deceived them all?
Yet, the person in question offered no explanation, merely standing there calmly with his hands clasped behind his back.
Chae Kwang-seop’s eyes were filled with pure ecstasy. He looked up and down at Jung Chul with a mocking smirk.
It was at that exact moment.
— Hey, is this really going to be okay? — What is, you bastard? — Is it really fine to do this? — Of course it’s fine, you idiot. Look how rock-bottom Jung Hyun-soo’s reputation is. Do you really think people will say ‘No way’ if they hear that loser takes drugs?
The screen suddenly transitioned, and a completely different face appeared.
It was Chae Seung-jin and his lackeys, sitting inside a hideout at the Cradle.
— As long as this goes well, your guild will become part of the Songkwang family too, you bastard. When Garam blows up, do you think our Songkwang will eat up all the remaining interests alone? — R-Really? — Make sure it’s handled properly. I’ll handle prompting that moron Jung Hyun-soo to just hide it and deliver it. As long as we drag that bitch Jung X-ah into it, that bastard Jung Hyun-soo would lick a Necromancer’s ass if we asked him to.
In an instant, Jung Hyun-soo’s teeth ground together.
It was because a piece of his cringeworthy history—his past unrequited crush—had just been exposed to the public.
“You…”
But that feeling lasted only a brief moment.
Jung Hyun-ah, who was about to say something, focused back on the unfolding video.
A scene appeared showing one of Chae Seung-jin’s subordinates using a disguise artifact to meet with Jung Hyun-soo.
Then came the scene where they attacked Jung Hyun-soo and checked the contents of the bag.
The video concluded by showing the test results proving the items were illegal artifacts and confirming the presence of Manasia.
— Now Garam is mine. When Garam goes under and I take that bitch Jung X-ah in, her expression is going to be quite a sight, huh? — Jung Hyun-soo, that pathetic cripple. The bastard probably still thinks we’re his friends, right?
Chae Kwang-seop suddenly felt an intense, overwhelming wave of killing intent directed right at him.
Hiccup!
Every single hunter from Garam was glaring at him, releasing their murderous aura without restraint.
“…Did you say you came to save Garam?” “H-How did this…”
Jung Chul’s indifferent tone pierced straight through Chae Kwang-seop.
“Before saving our guild, you had better provide a proper explanation of how this came to be if Songkwang wishes to survive. Otherwise, I will personally declare a Guild War.”
Chae Kwang-seop’s mind went completely blank.
If the contents of that video were true, the person on screen was unmistakably Chae Seung-jin. With the evidence laid bare that he had plotted to frame Garam using Jung Hyun-soo, the one whose house was now on fire was Songkwang.
Chae Seung-jin, you absolute idiot!
To think that the plot he had carried out with such confidence would turn out to be this kind of mess. How utterly incompetent did someone have to be to leave a video like that lying around while pulling off a scheme?
“…I was misinformed.”
Unlike the grand, commanding entrance he had made moments ago, Chae Kwang-seop swiftly shifted his stance.
“Misinformed?” “My vision was clouded because it involved my nephew.” “Are you saying this has nothing to do with Songkwang? After throwing their name around like that just a moment ago?” “He has been hot-headed since he was young and has ruined things more than once or twice. I beg the Guild Master not to connect this matter to Songkwang.”
Chae Kwang-seop’s judgment was rapid.
No matter how hot-tempered he was, he hadn’t become an executive of one of the Top Ten Guilds for nothing.
“The guild will issue an official response shortly.”
The moment he assessed reality, he claimed it had nothing to do with Songkwang and even offered an apology while taking sole responsibility. Unless Garam intended to wage an all-out war, they couldn’t push him too aggressively either.
Jung Hyun-soo merely glanced at another breaking news flash that popped up on the screen while the two men were exchanging words.
