Chapter 282

With a thunderous explosion, two figures emerged.

I waved at the familiar face among them.

“Well, well, look who’s here, you little shit.”

“…You.”

I had planned to punch him square in the face the moment I saw him, but when I saw his twisted expression, I couldn’t help but chuckle instead.

I glanced at Park Ji-hoon’s tightly clenched fist and asked with a feigned look of disappointment.

“You didn’t bring it?”

“…What?”

“Melona.”

“This bastard…”

Before he could respond further, a large hand gripped his shoulder.

“There are still eyes watching.”

Park Ji-hoon bit his lip and stepped back.

The older man, who had dispersed all the onlookers, spoke to me as he observed the scene with amusement.

“Do you know who I am?”

I nodded. How could I not recognize that face?

His name carried weight, and he frequently appeared in newspapers, magazines, and other media.

‘Myeongdong Guild Leader, Park Tae-seop.’

A war hero from the Great Cataclysm and one of the top-ranking hunters in the country. He was a figure admired by many, having survived countless life-or-death struggles to become the master of a large guild. He was the epitome of the hunters’ dream and a respected elder.

‘I used to admire him too.’

But not anymore.

The fond memories I had of Park Tae-seop expired two days ago.

Thoughts show in one’s actions. My gaze was filled with blatant hostility as Park Tae-seop opened his mouth.

“It seems… you see me as an enemy.”

“I can’t think of you as a friend, can I? Considering we both know the situation.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. As you go through life, you’ll realize there are no eternal friends or enemies.”

“I’m not so sure about that. But the idea that there are no eternal friends… I’d say there’s some truth to that.”

I looked at Park Ji-hoon as I spoke.

He replied in a cold voice, “The premise is wrong. We were never friends.”

“Never friends,” I echoed his words, sinking deeply into the chair.

Even now, one of the things I couldn’t understand was Park Ji-hoon’s sudden change in attitude.

But then again…

“At this point, it doesn’t matter. The moment you sent those Black Hunters, it was already over.”

The mention of the Black Hunters made Park Tae-seop wave his hand, signaling the hundred or so hunters filling the corridor to disperse like the tide going out.

I listened to the sound of their footsteps receding, my lips curling into a smile.

“You’re not very confident, are you?”

“It’s a stain.”

“And you’re disturbingly honest about it.”

“I’m ashamed of it personally.”

“If you’re so ashamed, why did you issue such shitty orders?”

“What’s the reason behind it?”

An uncomfortable expression flickered across Park Tae-seop’s face. But it wasn’t directed at me.

For a brief moment, his eyes glanced at Park Ji-hoon, who was standing beside him, and then quickly looked away.

Now, this is interesting…

It wasn’t intentional; this action was unconscious. If he’s acting like this unintentionally, there must be something he’s hiding.

I recalled the things that hadn’t made sense and thought to myself,

‘This stinks…’

While I was musing, Park Ji-hoon suddenly spoke up.

“To keep you and the Peace Guild in check.”

“Check?”

“The emergence of a new strong player means someone else’s share gets smaller. It’s not just us—other guilds probably feel the same way.”

At first glance, his words made sense.

The domestic guild market was already oversaturated. Ranks were established, and the pecking order was set. The old guard didn’t want new competition.

“The Peace Guild is a threat. Although it’s currently limited to Bucheon, it’s bound to grow rapidly and expand its influence.”

“So you sent the Black Hunters?”

“I did. But didn’t I tell you before? It was just a warning.”

“I also mentioned that because of that pathetic warning, one person was crippled.”

“Crippled? They reattached his severed arms, and he should have no issues with daily life. Do they call that being crippled these days?”

“It’s as good as being crippled. A hunter’s career is over.”

“Better than a guild being finished.”

“What?”

Park Ji-hoon sneered as he continued,

“This is just the beginning. Your guild is already blocked from most high-level gates, and you’ll slowly wither away under the rejection of the surrounding guilds.”

I suddenly recalled something from a few days ago. Team Leader Choi had mentioned how other guilds had monopolized the A-rank gates.

Because of that, I had no choice but to lead the rookies around C-rank or B-rank gates that offered no meaningful experience.

“Could that be…?”

“Slow on the uptake, aren’t you? You thought it was a coincidence?”

Park Ji-hoon’s lips curled into a smirk. He had not only regained his composure but also leaned back on the sofa with an air of relaxation.

“You recently took in a large number of new guild members. What will you do? At this rate, you’ll have to let them all go within a year. You’d be lucky not to get sued for unpaid wages.”

I loosened my folded arms and said,

“You’ve got skills. No wonder you’re part of a major guild.”

“Well, I am pretty good.”

“But… we’ve also got a pretty good hand to play. If it’s revealed that the Myeongdong Guild gathered criminals and had them work in the shadows, that’d be interesting, wouldn’t it? What do you think?”

Without waiting for his reaction, I continued,

“Looking at the situation, if I hand it over to the police, you guys will just snatch it up. So I thought it’d be more fun to do a live truth stream on iTube.”

“…iTube? Live streaming?”

“Oh, right. You don’t know? Our guild started a channel. Make sure you subscribe and hit the like button. Don’t forget to turn on notifications too.”

“Wow, we’ve got 300,000 subscribers already. If this blows up, we’ll hit a million in no time. Half of Korea will probably watch it.”

The smile that had been lingering on Park Ji-hoon’s lips vanished.

“You shouldn’t start something you can’t handle.”

“I can handle it.”

“You want to turn all the major guilds against you?”

“If I start raising hell here, can you clean it up?”

Park Ji-hoon’s mouth clamped shut as if glued together.

He glared at me with smoldering eyes for a while before finally speaking.

“What do you want?”

“What do I want?”

“I’ll accept whatever you demand as much as possible. Let’s negotiate and not blow this out of proportion.”

“Negotiate, huh?”

“If we go all the way, it’ll be mutually destructive. You know that as well as I do.”

He wasn’t wrong. If it were something I could take full responsibility for, I’d push it to the end. But this involved the lives of many people associated with the Peace Guild.

Friends, lovers, family… their futures were on the line. I licked my dry lips quietly.

“What can you offer?”

“Money, power, and various privileges to help the Peace Guild grow.”

“Didn’t you send the Black Hunters because the Peace Guild’s growth was threatening?”

“That’s why there’d be limits.”

“Stay within the designated boundaries?”

“Exactly.”

As Park Ji-hoon continued to speak, I began to piece together the picture in my mind.

If I handed over the prisoners we had and kept quiet about this, the rewards would be significant.

No, they’d be enormous.

Buildings, land, and even high-level gate monopolies held by the Myeongdong Guild, along with a vast sum of cash.

The overall picture was appealing. But…

“You’re missing the most important thing.”

“What? This is more than enough… What?”

Park Ji-hoon frowned.

“What did you just say?”

“You’re missing the most important thing.”

“Are you insane? You want more?”

“To be honest, I don’t really understand the details. I know it’s valuable, but our Guild Leader and Team Leader Choi are the experts on what’s good or bad.”

“Then what the hell are you talking about?”

I stared at Park Ji-hoon.

“An apology.”

“…What?”

“When you’ve done something wrong, you should apologize. But you’re missing the most important apology.”

His proposal had flashy conditions, but there was no apology.

The most important thing was absent.

“Hah.”

Park Ji-hoon let out a dry laugh. His eyes, scanning me up and down, were filled with disbelief and anger.

“Fine. I’m sorry. Is that enough?”

“That’s not how you apologize.”

Crack.

The sound of bones shifting echoed from Park Ji-hoon’s clenched fist.

But only for a moment. After taking a deep breath, he looked into my eyes and spoke clearly.

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s a bit better.”

“Is that enough now?”

I nodded slightly.

“But next time, when you do it in person, put more sincerity into it. Bow your head respectfully.”

“…What the hell are you talking about?”

“What’s the point of getting an apology from you? You should apologize to the person you hurt and their family.”

Park Ji-hoon’s eyelid twitched.

“You want me to apologize to that E-rank hunter?”

“Why, can’t you do it?”

“I thought we agreed on compensation. It’s an amount most hunters could never even dream of.”

“Well, that’s great. If you deliver a heartfelt apology along with a substantial amount of compensation, it’ll be even more effective.”

As I softened my tone, I added one more thing, still smiling.

“If it’s too humiliating, bring someone along to apologize with you.”

Myeongdong Guild Leader Park Tae-seop, who had been silently listening to our conversation, finally spoke up.

“I’ll go and apologize in person. With all my heart.”

“At least you’ve got the basics down, Guild Leader. You’re a bit cleaner shit, if I might say.”

Cleaner shit. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate and paradoxical expression at this point.

But the other suspect in my mind wasn’t Park Tae-seop.

I leaned forward in my chair, looking directly into Park Ji-hoon’s eyes as I spoke.

“Bring the person who gave you the orders. Have them apologize too.”

The turbulent waves in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.

It was only a fleeting moment, but it was enough to turn my suspicions into certainty.

“Alright. Since Guild Leader Park Tae-seop just agreed.”

Park Ji-hoon spoke in the calmest voice he could muster.

“I’ll go together and apologize.”

“Cut the crap and bring them here.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

I silently rose from my seat and walked toward the sofa where Park Ji-hoon was sitting.

“No matter how much I think about it, I just can’t understand.”

I sat down across from him, studying the calm façade he tried to maintain behind the large wooden table.

He had a solid build, muscles evident beneath his shirt, and the energy coiled within him was palpable.

Big and strong.

I didn’t need to check his level to know he was far beyond the Team Leader in strength.

“What do you mean you can’t understand?”

“What I can’t understand is why someone as powerful as you, who could take down that Team Leader with one hand, isn’t even a deputy but just an ordinary hunter. And why you barely show up to work, maybe once a month. From what I overheard in your conversation with the Team Leader, it sounded more like a superior-subordinate relationship.”

There were too many suspicious parts to count.

And as the conversation went on today, those suspicions were turning into certainty.

“An enormous offer is on the table, yet the top decision-maker stays silent, and the one speaking up has no title, just an ordinary team member? How should I interpret this, Guild Leader Park Tae-seop?”

Meeting my gaze, Myeongdong Guild Leader Park Tae-seop slowly closed his eyes. That was a clear enough answer.

I chuckled and looked back at Park Ji-hoon.

“So, bring them here. I don’t know who it is, but bring them here and have them apologize.”

Park Ji-hoon’s tightly shut lips finally parted.

“What if I refuse?”

“Then we see this through to the end.”

“You’re crazy. Do you even know who you’re talking about?”

“I don’t know. And I don’t particularly want to. But I’ll only be satisfied when I see that person bowing their head and apologizing.”

Swish!

At that moment, Park Ji-hoon moved with blinding speed.

“This bastard!”

In the blink of an eye, our hands collided and tangled together. In the span of a few seconds, we exchanged five strikes.

Snap, his wrist broke, and his eyes widened.

I grabbed his waxed hair and slammed his head into the table.