Chapter 279
[Jin Taekyung]
The screen displayed three vivid characters.
A thunderous roar stopped Park Jihoon, who had been about to press the phone icon without realizing it.
“I’m not done talking. Put away that damned phone and sit down!”
“Are you deaf?”
“…No, sir. I’ll comply.”
Park Jihoon turned off his phone and slumped into his chair. Park Taeseop glared at him with fiery eyes.
“Killing a team leader-level hunter without permission wasn’t enough, was it?”
“I believe that matter has already been discussed. ‘He’ personally contacted the guild master to seek understanding.”
“Understanding? Wasn’t it more like a threat?”
“He’d be quite upset to hear you say that.”
“What kind of grudge do you and the Peace Guild have against Jin Taekyung to involve Black Hunters…”
“Let’s leave it at that.”
Park Jihoon cut him off with a stiff voice.
“You don’t need to know unnecessary details.”
“…!”
“Isn’t it important that the guild master accepted the proposal? The process is less important than the result.”
“Right. So, is this how you create those important results?”
Park Jihoon frowned. Park Taeseop had complained before, but this was the first time he’d been so blatant.
What on earth had happened?
“I think we should stop arguing. What’s the problem?”
Park Taeseop, breathing heavily with excitement, threw out a brief remark.
“Two hours ago, we received an emergency contact from Team 11.”
Officially, the Myeongdong Guild had ten teams.
However, Team 11, mentioned by Park Taeseop, was an unofficial team made up of Black Hunters.
“Did you say an emergency contact?”
“If you have eyes, see for yourself.”
Park Taeseop threw something from his gown pocket. It was an old phone, so worn it was hard to tell when it was made.
The call records were cleanly erased, and only one text message from two hours ago remained.
[Intruder detected.]
A brief message, but ominous in content.
Park Jihoon closed the phone folder and asked.
“Where was it?”
“Far away. A rural area near an unknown mountain. It’s an unsafe zone with no gates nearby, so no one should be there.”
“Any further updates?”
“If there were, would I be talking about it now?”
“So, they’ve lost contact.”
“I sent someone to check, but I have a bad feeling.”
Park Jihoon agreed with him.
Seven years ago, his first task upon being dispatched to the Myeongdong Guild involved Team 11.
Guild Master Park Taeseop strongly opposed the idea of hiding and training criminals, but he couldn’t go against ‘his’ orders.
Thus, about 30 Black Hunters were gathered.
“Three A-Rank Hunters. And twenty-five B-Rank Hunters.”
Their power was comparable to, if not greater than, the elite Team 1 of the Myeongdong Guild.
Yet, after the intruder alert, they had lost contact.
As unease crept into his heart, his phone in his coat pocket vibrated again. The persistent vibration only amplified Park Jihoon’s anxiety.
The call signal ended with yet another voicemail.
It was already the tenth call. He had sent texts earlier but received no replies.
* * *
‘It’s work time.’
The entrance of the high-rise building in the heart of Seoul was crowded with people.
Just as he was observing the scene, someone spoke.
“Excuse me.”
The man in a suit had a sharp face and a solid build. His colleague standing next to him seemed similar.
Putting away his phone, the man responded.
“Yes, excuse me.”
The suited man hesitated, then spoke.
His name badge clearly indicated his affiliation with the Myeongdong Guild.
“We’re from the security team. We’ve received a report about you.”
“I’m not a teacher. What report?”
“The CCTV showed you lingering in front of our building for a while… Do you have any business here?”
Their gaze was filled with caution and suspicion.
Wearing casual track pants, a hoodie, a deeply pulled cap, and sunglasses, it was no wonder they reported him.
“Could we move somewhere else for a moment?”
“No, thanks. And I’m not a teacher.”
“It’ll just take a moment.”
Despite his polite tone, his actions were the opposite.
Whoosh! With a short sound, both men reached out simultaneously.
In the next moment, the confident expressions on their faces turned into question marks.
Tap, grabbed.
“What?”
“Huh?”
Effortlessly grasping both wrists, Jin Taekyung spoke sternly.
“Hey, you disrespectful punks. Where do you think you’re putting your hands?”
“Hold on.”
“Who are you? Let go of us!”
The two C-Rank Hunters from the security team were visibly flustered. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t budge him, their jaws dropping in disbelief.
‘Should I break them?’
After a moment’s thought, he decided it wasn’t time yet. Before causing a scene, he released their wrists.
“Don’t touch people without permission.”
Rubbing their reddened wrists, the two men cautiously asked.
“Are you a Hunter…?”
“May I ask for your affiliation and name?”
“Jin Taekyung of the Peace Guild.”
“What?”
“Are you perhaps the one from the internet broadcasts?”
“…You’ve seen those?”
Being called “that guy” from the internet was better than some of his nicknames.
Sighing, he lowered his sunglasses slightly. The two men gasped and bowed deeply.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
“You look even better in person.”
Their eyes sparkled like high school students meeting an idol. They clearly didn’t know the deeper details.
Well, Black Hunter matters were top secret. If even a security team hunter knew, it would have leaked long ago.
“So, what brings you to our guild?”
“I came to see someone.”
“Someone?”
Jin Taekyung pulled out a thin card from his wallet. It was Park Jihoon’s business card, which he had received earlier.
“Hunter Park Jihoon from Team 1?”
The security team hunter, looking puzzled at the card, asked his colleague.
“Do you know this person?”
“Who?”
“Hunter Park Jihoon from Team 1. I know all the Team 1 members, but I don’t recall this name.”
“Park Jihoon, Park Jihoon… Ah, that guy. You know him too.”
With a nudge to the side, recognition dawned on his colleague.
They looked at Jin Taekyung and the business card with curiosity.
‘What’s with this reaction?’
His eyes narrowed instinctively. The security team hunter, unaware of Jin Taekyung’s reaction, asked.
“Are you close with Hunter Park Jihoon?”
“We were classmates. Middle school.”
“Ah, so you’re friends.”
Jin Taekyung responded with a soft smile.
“Well, for now.”
“Pardon?”
“Just kidding.”
Maybe not.
Unaware of his thoughts, the security team hunters continued their questions.
“So you came to see Hunter Park Jihoon?”
“Yes, he’s not answering his phone or at home. I thought I might find him at work.”
“We apologize. We didn’t know.”
“You were just doing your job. Is Jihoon inside?”
The senior security team hunter replied.
“He probably won’t come in today either.”
“Today too?”
“Yes, he rarely comes in. Maybe once a month? I’ve barely seen him in my year here, and this guy is only a month in…”
“Hunters in the Myeongdong Guild don’t come to work often, I see.”
“Of course not. I don’t know why, but everyone just accepts it.”
Indeed, why?
A hunter who comes to work once a month was a first for him too.
His curiosity grew stronger.
He spoke without revealing his thoughts.
“Can you contact Jihoon for me? I know the guild has a special phone for calls.”
“Uh, that’s…”
He made an irresistible offer to the hesitant duo.
“I came to discuss a collaborative raid. I could add one or two more members if you help me…”
“Gasp.”
“Are you serious?”
Of course not.
Everything was a lie from start to finish. But he feigned innocence and continued.
“You’re both C-Rank, right?”
“Yes.”
“How did you know?”
“I can just tell. It’s a waste for you to be stuck in the security team.”
Technically, the security team was a non-mainstream position. If they were truly skilled, they wouldn’t be wasted on security duty but instead deployed on raids for the guild’s benefit.
The security team members knew this too. Their eyes sparkled with hope as they looked at him.
“We’ll contact him right away!”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything else you need?”
“Can I look around the guild while I wait for Jihoon?”
“Of course.”
While the senior bowed politely, the junior’s face hardened.
A one-month newbie, still full of duty and loyalty to the company.
“Um, senior. This doesn’t seem right.”
“What? You punk?”
“I also really respect Hunter Jin Taekyung, but isn’t this against guild policy?”
“Hey, you!”
After shouting, realizing his mistake, he whispered urgently, checking for Jin Taekyung’s reaction.
“Are you crazy? An A-Rank gate raid opportunity? We’d never get this in the security team.”
“Then report it to the team leader first…”
“Man, you’re so rigid. Do we need a report just to look around? Especially with Hunter Jin Taekyung here.”
“No, but still…”
“Come on, be flexible.”
“Flexible?”
Suddenly, the junior hunter stiffened and spoke firmly.
“In these times, using such careless language is inappropriate. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“This guy’s crazy. Do you want to make your guild life difficult?”
It’s a mess.
Clicking his tongue, Jin Taekyung stepped forward.
The junior hunter flinched but puffed out his chest.
“Do you have something to say?”
“No, I’m just impressed.”
“Pardon?”
“Your patriotism and loyalty. I’ll mention this to the guild master when I meet him.”
“You mean the guild master?”
“Yes. Jihoon said he’d mention it to the guild master too. I’ll make sure to tell him about this excellent talent.”
He added, looking at the junior’s name tag.
“Hunter Kim Cheolsoo.”
Kim Cheolsoo’s eyes filled with emotion, trembling with gratitude.
With a friendly smile, Jin Taekyung asked.
“Can I go in now?”
Kim Cheolsoo shouted robustly.
“Welcome!”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
The 20-floor luxury building was owned by the Myeongdong Guild.
While the junior was left behind, the senior hunter led the way, chatting.
“From the first to the ninth floors, we have the tax, accounting, and corporate departments. The 10th to 19th floors house the raid teams.”
“And the 20th floor?”
“That’s for the guild master and the board members, of course.”
“I see.”
“The elite Team 1 is on the 19th floor.”
Ding.
As the conversation ended, the elevator arrived. Just as the doors were about to close after pressing the 19th-floor button, someone shouted.
“Wait, wait!”
The senior hunter hurriedly pressed the open button.
As the door slid open, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline entered.
He glanced at them sideways and, covering his phone slightly, continued his conversation.
“Yes, yes. No, it’s because of the elevator. Yes.”
The energy emanating from him was substantial.
‘An A-Rank Hunter?’
Noticing the senior hunter stiffening, Jin Taekyung raised an eyebrow, silently asking who he was.
The senior subtly raised a finger, mouthing the words.
‘Team Leader 1.’
No wonder. There was a reason he didn’t press the floor button.
Being the leader of Team 1, it was natural for him to go to the 19th floor. The man tuned into his phone conversation.
And then, a familiar voice pierced his ears.
– Twenty-eight members wiped out? How is that possible? Hurry…
“…”
He trembled as if shocked. The familiar voice and the number twenty-eight.
‘It was you.’
Thinking this, he moved.
Slam!
“Ugh, who are you…!”
Grabbing the team leader’s neck like a shackle, Jin Taekyung whispered into the phone.
“Park Jihoon. You bastard.”
