“Yes, sir… … .”
Eugene Ho was glaring at him with chilling eyes.
Even as the name of his guild was mentioned so clearly from his mouth, Lee Young-ho’s face gradually turned pale.
“Even in these times, aren’t there supposed to be laws? Just like the recent Death Guild incident, it seems like hunters these days live above the law.”
“No way! Absolutely not, sir!”
“If not, what is it? Is it just the Hyunmu Guild? Where did you spy on them with the drone?”
“That, that… … .”
It was Manager Lee Young-ho who couldn’t find where to put his eyes.
That’s because I was the one who personally put the drone into my subordinate’s hands this morning.
Drones these days are really good at what they do.
Not only has the wide-angle camera with ultra-high resolution image quality improved, but its recording function has also improved tremendously, as well as its flight capabilities and controls.
Now, if I really wanted to zoom in, I could see every single strand of hair in every corner of the house, even outside the window.
Given its excellent performance, it is only natural that there are tight regulations in place to protect privacy.
But those laws have changed a lot since the cataclysm.
Even in the case of the current immigration situation, weren’t there countless broadcasting station drones floating throughout the sky to broadcast the situation live?
When a natural disaster like a dungeon break occurs, the hunters do not hesitate to use any means necessary to hunt the beasts, whether it be drones or anything else.
But even in this world, it was not acceptable to sneak a peek into the homes of ordinary citizens without permission.
“Manager Lee Young-ho, it seems that the Hyunmu Guild is not a good fit for our company. You can go back now and don’t wait for our contact.”
“Ugh. Sir! Please reconsider that one… …!”
“You can tell ten by looking at one. If the image of the Hyunmu Guild is even slightly negative when our game is released later, it will have a big impact on sales.”
“… … !”
Manager Lee Young-ho, whose hard work was in danger of being ruined overnight, quickly lowered his head as if he had been sentenced to death.
“Yes, sir! I will apologize on your behalf. It was my fault for not managing my subordinates well. I think I was too eager to recruit a great talent like Sung Soo-ho Hunter. Instead, I will take responsibility and make Sung Soo-ho Hunter’s conditions the best in the industry, if not better!”
As he mentioned Suho’s name, Yoo Jinho’s gaze turned to Suho next to him.
“Suho, they say these are the best conditions in the industry. Have you received any conditions from other guilds?”
But that wasn’t a question in the first place.
Before Suho could answer, Yoo Jin-ho continued speaking.
“No matter what, don’t sign a contract. Whether it’s the best in the industry or something else, I can’t stand seeing our guardians being sold off for a pittance. I’d rather have this uncle start a guild.”
“Yes? The Hunter Guild?”
Suho looked puzzled at the unexpected suggestion.
“Yes. Since companies are raising professional baseball teams and soccer teams, why can’t they create a Hunter’s Guild?”
Eugene Ho was sincere.
Although it was something I said spontaneously, it was already one of the agenda items that came up during the planning department meeting.
The moment he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the hunters of the Hyunmu Guild standing behind him.
“Are you still here?”
His expression turned cold again, as if asking when that had happened.
“Sir, please reconsider this one more time… … .”
Manager Lee Young-ho desperately clings to the last rope.
But Yoo Jin-ho’s decision wasn’t just because they were bothering Soo-ho for personal reasons.
“You’ve probably heard my explanation so far. The game of leveling up alone is an important business.”
Thorough business.
“That means that even the hunters who appear in the game shouldn’t have even the slightest noise. In that sense, the behavior of the Hyunmu Guild is a bit dangerous. Please go back now.”
“… … .”
It feels like a cold knife is flying and stabbing me in the heart.
Manager Lee Young-ho realized that nothing more could be said.
All he can do is walk out of Ajin Soft with the hunters he brought with him.
And today, he had no choice but to go through the trouble of how to kill the subordinate employee he had sent to Suho’s house.
* * *
Eugene Ho brought Suho into the CEO’s office.
“Yes, our guardian. Now that the troublemakers are gone, let’s hear what’s going on.”
The secretary brought coffee to the two who were sitting facing each other.
“How is your job as a hunter? Is it hard?”
“It’s doable.”
“It’s worth it, kid. From what I’ve seen on the news, it seems like you live too dangerously. You’re a C-class, so why are you stuck between an S-class and an A-class, doing all that?”
Despite Suho’s righteous answer, Yoo Jinho clicked his tongue and looked at Suho with pitiful eyes.
To Yoo Jin-ho… … Su-ho’s existence was a kind of sore finger.
Seong Su-ho, whom Yoo Jin-ho had been watching since he was young, was a special boy who grew up with a good personality under a strict father and a kind mother.
No wonder he never rebelled or caused trouble during puberty.
Of course, that father was the strictest person in the world.
Because he was a legendary detective in the violent crimes unit who used his power to beat up even the most fearsome gangsters, even though he was a police officer.
‘But how did it end up like this… … .’
Looking at Suho’s face, which resembled his father so much, Yoo Jin-ho felt particularly bitter.
A few years ago.
Suho, who had grown up in such an affluent life without lacking anything, was suddenly struck by misfortune.
The disappearance of parents.
At first, no one could accept that fact.
Because they were a couple who were so close that they would often go on spontaneous trips.
But one day passed, two days passed.
Several weeks passed and they still did not return.
From then on, Yoo Jin-ho started to search for them, using all his connections and money.
But no matter how hard I searched, not even a single trace of them could be found.
After that, Yoo Jin-ho decided to take responsibility for Su-ho in his stead, and it was he who actually recognized Su-ho’s talent for drawing and helped him get into art school.
‘But I didn’t know I would go to Korea University.’
Is it because I was so immersed in the painting?
Or maybe it was because the world was soon struck by a cataclysm far more outrageous than the disappearance of his parents.
Fortunately, Suho grew up well without harboring any other bad intentions.
“How is your aunt?”
“Ahem. Your aunt is… … .”
Yoo Jin-ho, who was lost in thought, couldn’t help but be flustered by Su-ho’s sudden question.
“… … Well, I guess you’re still busy looking for your parents.”
“ah.”
At those words, Suho’s expression also hardened.
In fact, it was a natural thing.
To Suho, they were his parents, but to Suho’s aunt, Seongjin-ah, his older brother and his older brother’s wife had also gone missing.
One day, her immediate family went missing, but Sung Jin-ah wasn’t the one to just sit there and wait.
At first, they just trusted the police and waited, but these days, they even hired detective agencies and hunters to search the entire world.
“Hmm.”
But what is this?
When the topic of his parents came up, Yoo Jin-ho noticed that Su-ho’s reaction was a little different than usual and his eyes widened.
“What’s with that look? Have you figured something out?”
“Oh, no. That’s not it. Um… … I was thinking that maybe you should look for your mother more than your father.”
“… … Sister-in-law rather than brother?”
“Yes. After all, my father is someone who doesn’t worry too much no matter where he is.”
“That’s right. Don’t worry too much, we were looking for you both considering the possibility that you two went missing separately. These days, we’re also tracking you considering the possibility that you might have been caught up in a dungeon break.”
“Dungeon Break?”
“Yes. Of course, he went missing before the cataclysm, but experts say that there may have been gates opening intermittently on Earth even before the cataclysm. We are investigating that as well, so don’t worry too much.”
At this point, Suho couldn’t help but nod.
‘Even if that’s the case for father, there’s a high chance that mother got caught up in a dungeon and went missing.’
Suho recalled something he had once heard from Ber.
‘Come to think of it, my mother said that she had known my father’s true identity for a long time. She also said that those who awakened once in the forgotten timeline are now hunters.’
Awakening was ultimately a realm of talent.
If that person has high magical adaptability, then he will eventually awaken, no matter when that time comes.
‘And since your mother used to be an S-class hunter, she must have eventually regained her powers.’
And an S-class hunter could survive no matter where he was dropped on Earth alone.
But if that place wasn’t Earth, it would be different.
‘In the end, we have to investigate the dimensional gap.’
widely.
“Anyway, Suho.”
As if trying to lighten the mood that was becoming increasingly dark, Yoo Jin-ho slammed his coffee cup down on the table with a clank and spoke directly to Su-ho.
“I meant what I said earlier. I’ll set up a guild for you, so don’t bother joining a strict guild.”
“Huh? Uncle, wasn’t that just something you said in the heat of the moment?”
“I was a little angry, but I was already planning to start a hunter guild in our company.”
Eugene Ho took out a folder and held it out in front of Suho.
[Hunter Guild New Establishment Plan]
“Do you see this? It’s a project that hasn’t even started yet, but since we’re talking about it, I think I should tell them to get started right away.”
“Oh, it was true.”
The business plan was substantial and seemed to have been prepared in great detail.
“Of course, I can’t make you the guild leader because your rank is low, but instead, I will assign you senior hunters who can help you.”
Looking at the expression on Yoo Jin-ho’s face as he proudly showed me the file, I could feel the thought, ‘Isn’t it nice to have a rich uncle?’
But at that time.
suddenly!
[We don’t need those kinds of guys.]
“… … !”
Suddenly, Ber jumped out from Suho’s shadow and glared at Yoo Jinho.
[Because the little monarch has me.]
“This, this is… … !”
When Eugene saw Ber, his eyes widened and he jumped up from his seat.
Ber’s eyes narrowed at the intense reaction.
[You, don’t you remember… ]
“Poohahaha! Suho, you must do it!”
[Hmm?]
Eugene Ho burst into laughter at Suho, pointing at Ber’s appearance.
“You always draw pictures of ants, so you finally developed a skill to summon ants! Hahaha!”
[… … You only drew pictures of ants?!]
At those words, this time Ber’s eyes widened and he looked at Suho fiercely.
And then boom!
He clung to Suho’s head and began to shed tears of joy.
[Your Majesty! Have you been missing me so much all this time?]
“No, well. Let’s say that this is also an instinct engraved in the subconscious… … .”
Isn’t it similar to the principle of unconsciously making a game or drawing a picture of an ant?
Suho, who felt embarrassed for no reason, forcibly pulled Ber away and shoved him back into the shadows.
