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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Pressure from the Major Guilds
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The appearance of an A-Rank Hunter drew the attention of every guild.
And at the center of it all was the tiny Unwoo Guild.
The minuscule Unwoo Guild, too small to withstand all that scrutiny.
"I told you clearly already. That person turned down our guild."
"Why... why was he rejected? We were supposed to handle that gate at Unwoo Guild. Ah, did a major guild swoop in with a higher bid? Twenty million? Sorry. Just hand it over to them."
"You're not buying mana stones? Then what are we supposed to do?"
"The gate application got rejected?"
Thanks to this, the Unwoo Guild office had no quiet days.
The two ordinary staff members were constantly picking up the phone as it rang nonstop.
"Hoo..."
But the news they heard was mostly bad.
For Unwoo Guild, which could barely keep operating by rushing out to clear gates, this was the worst possible situation.
One wrong move, and they wouldn't meet the national gate-clearing quota, losing even government support.
"Don't worry. It won't last much longer."
But the guild master, letting out a deep sigh, smiled as if he'd anticipated it all and comforted his guild members.
They'd put out the article rejecting Yong-un early, so once time passed, the restrictions from the major guilds tightening around them would gradually lift one by one.
All that remained was waiting for the info to spread to every guild.
'Even after rejecting him, we're facing this much pressure... If we'd accepted, we'd have been done for in an instant.'
The guild master nodded with a sigh of relief at the massive scale that felt utterly right.
That was Unwoo Guild for you.
A place too small in capital and information for guild operations.
A fragile sapling that would crumble if kicked by a major guild.
The guild master knew Unwoo Guild that well, so he had no choice but to reject Yong-un.
Unwoo Guild just wasn't equipped enough to embrace him.
"Haa..."
Still, it stung.
The three essentials for running a guild—capital, information, and combat power.
He could've filled that massive combat power gap in one go.
No one could argue against the awe-inspiring strength that demanded no further words.
Any guild member who'd witnessed that gate clearance would agree with the guild master's thinking.
But what could he do?
Unwoo Guild wasn't yet the vessel to seize such an opportunity.
To avoid breaking, they had to curb their greed.
"Ehew."
He'd steeled himself from the start, but the regret wouldn't fade.
He could almost see Yong-un's divine might again, wiping out every monster and the boss in a flash.
'What a shame...'
As he sighed deeply enough to cave the ground, the guild office door opened, and a figure entered.
The very opportunity at the root of it all.
"Your sighs were echoing outside."
"Huh?"
The guild master shot up in surprise, and Myung-un rushed to the figure.
"Bro?!"
The culprit behind this mess, Myung-un's one and only brother.
Yong-un.
Yong-un gave a small smile at Myung-un rushing over.
Then he pointed to the phone on Myung-un's waist.
"A call's coming soon. Head to the hospital ahead of time."
"Hospital? Which..."
"Just go to Dad's room. We'll meet after."
"What do you..."
Rrring.
As Myung-un started to ask, the phone Yong-un had pointed to blared its ringtone.
"Hello? Yes?! W-Wait a sec. Is that for real? I'm heading there now! Right away!"
Flushed with excitement, Myung-un's eyes reddened as he approached Yong-un, beaming.
But Yong-un smiled at him and said,
"Go on. Dad's waiting."
"What about you, bro? You not coming?"
"I'll head over once things wrap up here. Won't take long."
"Got it. I'll go first!"
Myung-un hurriedly grabbed his things to dash out.
The guild master called after him.
"What's the rush, leaving without a word?"
Myung-un paused mid-stride as he bolted for the door.
"They said Dad can be discharged! He's fully recovered!"
"For real? Hurry up then!"
"Yeah. I'll report back after!"
After all, his father who'd lain bedridden for three years had finally recovered.
What better news for a son?
Normally, Myung-un would've insisted on dragging Yong-un along, but eager to see it with his own eyes, he didn't even glance back as he ran out.
"Not going with him?"
As Yong-un stayed put after Myung-un left, the guild master spoke first.
Yong-un glanced around and smiled back.
"Looks like all the guild members already realize your choice wasn't wrong."
The guild members' expressions toward Yong-un had changed.
Unlike yesterday, when they gazed at him like a hero who'd saved them from the jaws of death, today they all looked awkward, deliberately avoiding his eyes.
They'd realized this whole fiasco stemmed from Yong-un.
"What brings you here? As you can see, we can't accept you, Mr. Yong-un."
The guild master sighed deeply, gesturing to the staff on the phones.
Watching the guild master's expression and actions closely, Yong-un smiled as if sensing something and said,
"I saw your true worth yesterday. So I have a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"I'm no good with my head. So imagine this: if you had power equal to an S-Rank Hunter, how would you break through this situation?"
"Pardon? S-Rank...?"
The guild master's eyebrow twitched.
What was this out of nowhere?
They couldn't even recruit an A-Rank and were in this mess, and now S-Rank?
But the annoyance faded quickly; mulling it over, he couldn't help imagining it.
'If I were an S-Rank Hunter...?'
The furrows between his brows smoothed, and his mouth curved up.
"I'd handle the tough uncleared gates around here solo. That'd net mana stones and spread our guild's name."
"Exactly. Would that resolve the current mess?"
As Yong-un nodded, the guild master snapped back to reality and scowled.
"Now that I think about it, an S-Rank wouldn't bother with that hassle. They'd just request the Hunter Management Agency, and it'd all fall into place. Hold on. Are you here to mock me?"
"Smart people are like that. Toss them a question, and wanted or not, they mull it over. Then find an answer—even if it's just a fantasy."
Smiling, Yong-un stepped closer to the guild master.
"But this isn't a fantasy."
"Pardon?"
"I'll prove it. Let's find it now—that gate you mentioned."
"What do you..."
A voice came from behind the stiffening guild master.
"There's one near Bukhansan."
Everyone, including the guild master and Yong-un, whipped around at the sudden voice.
The staff member catching the stares awkwardly scratched his head.
"I'm the one who handles gate assignments, so I've seen it a lot... Sorry."
"I see. That mountain over there?"
"Yes, that's the one."
"Got it."
Yong-un turned casually toward the door as if chatting with the staff.
Sensing something off, the guild master pressed his temple and reached out to the departing Yong-un.
"Wait! What are you doing?"
Yong-un halted at the guild master's words.
Turning back, he said,
"What else? Going to clear it."
"Are you insane? Even an A-Rank couldn't solo that. The other guilds aren't just watching for nothing."
"Didn't you say clearing it would break this situation?"
"It would be enough, but... You're not even in our guild! Does that make sense? Everyone, stop him! He'll die!"
At the guild master's plea, guild members rose to block Yong-un's exit.
"Hold on. Just think for a sec..."
Ten hunters moved to surround him.
"Then..."
But ignoring the approaching hunters, Yong-un looked at the guild master and spoke.
With those final words, Yong-un's figure vanished from the Unwoo Guild office.
= = =
In front of the gate midway up Bukhansan.
Yong-un appeared where he'd vanished.
He nodded at the gate, slightly larger than any he'd seen.
"The aura does feel stronger than other gates."
Without hesitation, he stepped toward it, but two people chatting in front blocked his path.
"Hey, it's dangerous that way."
"Danger doesn't matter. My destination's that gate."
"Pardon? Hey, what guild claimed this?"
One staffer asked the other.
The other tilted his head puzzled.
"This gate? Sareung Guild spread rumors it's too dangerous—no one's touched it in two months. Which guild would claim it?"
"Check anyway since we don't know."
"On it."
One pulled out his phone to call.
Yong-un asked at their actions,
"Do I need something to enter the gate?"
"You came without claiming the gate?"
The staffer's face twisted.
To clear a gate, you needed a gate subjugation order from the Hunter Agency.
But Yong-un, short on real-world info, wouldn't know that.
"Then you absolutely can't enter."
"No guild claimed today's gate, right?"
With confirmation from the agency, the staffers hardened.
"Hear that? No entry to this gate."
They even shoved the scowling Yong-un back.
But he didn't budge from their superhuman strength.
The agency guards, hunters themselves, paled at his immovable power.
"Refuse to leave, and you could face legal penalties—even Hunter license revocation."
They'd realized from the shove: Yong-un's strength far outstripped theirs.
Unable to force him physically, they resorted to legal threats.
"I see."
Meant to intimidate, but wrong target.
Yong-un nodded once, then grabbed both staffers' heads with outstretched hands.
"Wh-What?"
In a blink, Yong-un's hands were on their heads.
Shock brief—a fierce wave of demonic energy erupted around him.
Boom!
The shockwave shook the ground, gusting outward as wind.
Whoosh! Crackle! Zap!
"..."
Demonic energy shook the space; birds within 200 meters fled skyward.
Like escaping a top predator, frantic wingbeats.
Then unnatural silence enveloped Yong-un and the staffers.
Yong-un raised his lowered head.
"In that case..."
Could human eyes be like that?
All-black irises, no whites, as he spoke.
"You'll have permitted it."
Thud. Thud.
Releasing his grip, the staffers crumpled, unconscious.
His eyes normalized as he strode toward the gaping gate.
'No concern for the fallen fools.'
Even if they lost jobs over this, fine.
As long as families were safe, that sufficed.
No lasting harm anyway.
Just half a day as weirdos.
Nothing could stop Yong-un heading to the gate all shunned.
He slipped inside.
= = =
"Felt it last time, but amazing."
Implanted suggestion on the agency staff, entered the gate.
Clearly midday sun high on Bukhansan mountainside.
Yet inside: no sun, dark plain unfolded.
Flat expanse barren of hiding rocks, endless horizon.
Not a single demon beast in sight.
Glancing around, Yong-un somewhat grasped why it was deemed hard to clear.
But understanding bred doubt.
"Not so tough no group could clear it."
His gaze dropped from horizon to feet.
Sensation crystal clear.
Hundreds of bugs beneath the ground.
"How is this hard?"
Know thyself and enemy, win every battle.
Knowing the underground bugs, how fail to clear?
Incomprehensible, but skimpy real-world info left Yong-un shrugging it off, hands behind back.
Tap.
Strolling casually, he stirred demonic energy.
Then compressed and burst it at the bugs below.
Boom! Kee-eeek!
Bang! Kerrruk!
Each blast flipped earth, dust plumes rising.
Bugs burst out, spraying green blood everywhere.
"Did I come to the wrong place?"
As bugs died, Yong-un's doubts grew.
Too easy.
Just drag 'em out and kill.
Yet treated like impregnable—unfathomable.
"Must be the wrong one."
No other explanation.
Nodding, he decided: after this, clear all Bukhansan gates.
Thus, Yong-un wandered the plain, exterminating every bug.
But Yong-un didn't know.
Unlike the martial world, reality had no 'martial artists' wielding techniques like Air Grasping Palm or Flying Dragon Leap.