Chapter 289

“Let’s become strong ourselves,” I said. “No, I’ll make you strong.”

“What?” For the first time, a look of deep and intense emotion crossed Chief Choi’s face, something I had never seen before.

Even Butler Kim, who usually remained calm and composed, showed signs of unease and disbelief. They were still reeling from a mix of frustration and bewilderment at my words.

‘I didn’t know they could make such expressions.’ These were the two who had always stayed two steps back to calmly handle situations whenever I charged ahead without thinking.

Now, for the first time, they seemed more human, more relatable to me.

Feeling a strange sense of satisfaction, I began to speak.

“The answer is simple. If the enemies are strong, we just need to become stronger.”

“Jin Tae-kyung.” Chief Choi’s voice was calm and steady, as if he had regained his composure. He was back to his usual self, having collected his earlier emotions.

“This isn’t a math problem that can be solved just by knowing the answer. Reaching the correct solution requires going through an unimaginably difficult process.”

“That’s fine. I’ll play the role of your tutor. It might take some time, but we’ll get there. Oh, but let’s change the subject. I’m terrible at math.”

“Did you forget? We’re up against the Ares Guild. You might not know, but I do. I know just how formidable they are.”

“But the young master is right,” Butler Kim added, agreeing with Chief Choi.

They both fell silent after that. One was the grandson of Cheon Tae-min, the leader of the Ares Guild, and the other was someone who had served him closely for a long time.

Given their positions, they must have seen and experienced a lot. While their hearts were burning with frustration, their cold, rational minds had already calculated the answer. But…

“Chief Choi?” I asked, looking into his eyes, which had already given up.

“Do you remember what you said to me before we went to the Myeongdong Guild?”

“Of course.”

“What did you say?”

After a brief hesitation, Chief Choi spoke.

“You said, ‘Jin Tae-kyung may seem reckless at first glance…'”

“But he always anticipates the worst-case scenario before making a move. And?”

“And he always brings about the best possible outcome.”

“You said you trusted me more than you trusted yourself, right? Was that just something you said to make me feel good?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“I might not be a genius, but I’m not dumb enough to risk my life on a game with zero chances. This, we can do.”

“We can do it…?”

“If you don’t trust yourself, then trust me.”

Chief Choi seemed to sense the sincerity in my words, and the faint glimmer of hope returned to his eyes. Hope is like a spark. It can flare up or die down in an instant. You have to fan the flames before they go out.

“Let me ask you this—if I leave the guild, will you give up too? Would you close the guild and retire to farming with Butler Kim? If that happens, I’m sure Lee Jung-ryong will be happy to supply you with fertilizer.”

“Jin Tae-kyung!” Butler Kim tried to interrupt, but I ignored him and continued.

“You said you wanted to create the greatest guild in the world. So, if I leave, and so does Im Jeok-jung, and Song-Yi, and all the other new recruits, do you plan to fight the Ares Guild by yourselves?”

“Chief Choi.”

He remained silent, not responding to my question. But the spark in his eyes hadn’t died yet.

Finally, he spoke in a low voice.

“The Ares Guild is an empire. It’s a powerful empire that even the top ten guilds in the country couldn’t defeat if they joined forces.”

“Well, then we’ll have to work hard to catch up.”

“I know a lot about the Ares Guild, if not everything. That’s why I think it’s so dangerous.”

“And that increases our chances. It means we have a good understanding of our enemy. Isn’t there a saying, ‘Know your enemy, know yourself, and you will never be defeated’?”

“I’ve thought about it many times, but my calculations always lead to the conclusion that it’s impossible.”

“Then recalculate.”

“Do you really… believe it’s possible?”

“Yes.”

“What part of my calculations is wrong? What gives you such confidence in your answer?”

Chief Choi wasn’t asking because he didn’t understand. More than anyone, he hoped his calculations were wrong. He wanted to find even the slimmest chance of fighting against Lee Jung-ryong.

I decided to answer his wish.

“The person you’re talking to right now.”

“Huh?”

“Your calculations were correct, except for one thing.” Slowly, I raised my finger and pointed to my chest.

“Me.”

In that moment, Chief Choi’s eyes wavered, and I felt the spark of hope begin to fade, replaced by disappointment.

“I included you in my calculations.”

“I figured. That’s what I would expect from you.”

Chief Choi is a sharp man. He’s a natural leader with keen insight and determination.

He must have weighed the Peace Guild and the Ares Guild on a scale, and I would have been part of the weight on the Peace Guild’s side.

“Everything you’ve done so far has been remarkable. No, it’s been incredible.”

I already knew what he was going to say next, even as his voice began to waver.

“But it’s not enough, right?” Chief Choi nodded heavily.

“There are over a hundred A-rank hunters officially affiliated with the Ares Guild, not to mention S-rank Lee Jung-ryong. And there are countless mid- and low-rank hunters.”

The emphasis on the word “officially” meant that there were even more forces hidden from view.

Knowing that Ares Guild had over a hundred A-rank hunters—something I’d heard rumors about before—hit differently when I heard it directly from Chief Choi. No matter how strong I am, I’m still just one person, and Chief Choi’s cold assessment was accurate.

But…

“If that’s the case, you need to redo your calculations.”

“What?”

“The formula is correct, but the numbers are wrong. I don’t know how much you value me, but you need to multiply that by at least several times.”

Chief Choi wasn’t the only one who was shocked; even Butler Kim, Im Jeok-jung, and Song-Yi widened their eyes.

Considering everything I’ve done so far, their reaction was understandable.

I hunted a named monster on my own, took down nearly thirty Black Hunters, and faced off against the Myeongdong Guild, a major guild.

I turned to Chief Choi, who was still frozen like a statue, and spoke.

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? I have more secrets than you can imagine.”

There was always a clear line in my mind between the world of Murim and the modern world. But Lee Jung-ryong and the Ares Guild had erased that line.

If this hadn’t happened, I would have kept my secrets forever.

‘Maybe wanting to live quietly was too much to ask?’ Perhaps this was the destiny that came with the power I had been given. So, I had to accept it. I couldn’t keep running away forever.

To protect the things I care about, I had to become stronger.

“So, what will you do now?”

Chief Choi still looked at me with disbelief in his eyes.

“Jin Tae-kyung, you always find a way to surprise me.”

“Save that feeling. You’ll be surprised even more from now on.”

“This path will be dangerous.”

“I’m used to walking on thorny paths.”

“Much more dangerous than anything you’ve faced before.”

“I’ve been through worse. You just don’t know it.”

Chief Choi seemed to think I was joking because he smiled for the first time, a slight, hesitant smile. But it quickly faded as he realized I was serious.

“Chief Choi.”

“Yes?”

“Sometimes, it’s okay to be honest.”

The smile disappeared from Chief Choi’s lips. His eyes darkened, and he pressed his lips together tightly.

I waited for him to speak. I needed to hear what he had to say from his own mouth.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long.

“It’s an unreasonable request, but would you continue to stay with the Peace Guild?”

Yes. That’s the answer I was waiting for.

I smiled and patted Chief Choi on the shoulder. He might appear smart and rational on the outside, but deep down, he was still kind-hearted.

He wanted to stay together, but he feared that we would get hurt, so he tried to push us away.

“Let’s do our best.”

“…Thank you.”

Chief Choi smiled faintly and turned to the others.

Butler Kim, who was as loyal as family, spoke first.

“I believe you already know my answer.”

“Thank you, Butler Kim.”

Next was Song-Yi. She sighed deeply before responding to the same question from Chief Choi.

“Ares Guild, huh? This doesn’t seem like a profitable venture.”

That was the most normal response so far. Anyone who’d openly welcome the idea of going up against the Ares Guild would be crazy.

“Then just make sure my salary is doubled to match the risk. And add a life insurance bonus too.”

Song-Yi might not be entirely normal either.

As I looked at her with disbelief, she shrugged.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just that most people would have left by now.”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Do you know why I left the Ares Guild to join the Peace Guild? Even though Chief Choi was under pressure from all sides?”

“How would I know?”

“He offered to double my salary.”

“My goal is to retire at thirty. If I work hard for the next two years, I can live comfortably for the rest of my life.”

She said it casually, but I knew she was just beating around the bush. Everyone knew that frugal Song-Yi had already saved up a fortune.

“And, well, it seems like you have a plan. Plus, it’s hard to find a boss as capable and handsome as Chief Choi.”

With that, Song-Yi’s decision to stay was confirmed. Now, everyone’s eyes turned to the last person.

“Im Jeok-jung, sir.” He didn’t respond immediately, but after a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Tae-kyung, do you think I’ll be of any help?”

“Absolutely.”

“Even though I’m just a D-rank hunter?”

“It’s usually the D-rank guys who turn out to be the real heroes. Maybe it’s time to change your name to Im D. Jeok-jung.”

Im Jeok-jung laughed heartily, then looked directly at Chief Choi.

“Chief Choi, it wasn’t your fault that I got hurt. So don’t blame yourself.”

“No, it was all my fault. Please focus on your recovery and rehabilitation for now. Don’t worry about this. You have a family to take care of.”

“Chief Choi.”

“Yes?”

“When I first lost my arm, do you know what my first thought was?”

“Was it your family?”

Im Jeok-jung was a husband and the father of two children, but he shook his head calmly.

“I thought, ‘I can’t be a hunter anymore.’ That was the first thing that came to mind.”

“I love this job. I’ve been going in and out of gates for twenty years, not just for my livelihood but because of my sense of duty as a hunter. But…”

Im Jeok-jung bit his lip and stared at his bandaged arms.

“Will I recover?”

“You will. Without a doubt.”

A faint smile appeared on Im Jeok-jung’s lips.

“Then I’ll keep going too. I can’t abandon my duty as a hunter just because of this.”

His words stirred something deep inside me.

People might see him as just a low-ranking hunter, but Im Jeok-jung was one of the few true hunters left in this world.

‘These people are too valuable to stop here.’

Alright, then. It’s time to strike while the iron is hot.

Having made up my mind, I opened the skill window for the first time in a long while.

And there, in the densely packed holographic display, I found what I was looking for.

**Skill:** [Secret Manual Creation]
**Grade:** None
**Restrictions:** Martial Art Mastery
**Description:** Allows the user to create a secret manual for any martial art they have mastered. If the user has a deep understanding of the martial art, the results may be even better.

**Note:** Materials are required to create the secret manual.

I thought as I looked at the skill information.

Wait, when did I get this?

‘Was it when I mastered the Jinga Step? Or the Jinga Spear Technique?’ It had been over a year, so my memory was a bit fuzzy.

Somehow, I had acquired the skill, but I had never used it because I hadn’t had a reason to.

No, to be precise, it wasn’t that I didn’t have a reason; I simply didn’t want to use it.

Whenever I saw the Peace Guild members in modern times, I occasionally felt the urge. But each time, my final conclusion was always “no.”

‘I didn’t want to deal with the trouble of spreading martial arts secrets.’

Imagine someone fighting with bronze weapons while another person showed up with a steel sword, cutting down everything in sight.

Everyone would envy them, and people would swarm around to try and take the steel sword for themselves.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust the Peace Guild members, but I believed that was the right decision at the time.

‘But there’s no reason to hesitate now.’

After confronting Lee Jung-ryong, Park Ji-hoon, and Seok Go-jun, I realized something. Even in the modern world, there are secrets I don’t know about.

Their movements and mana manipulation were more like those of martial artists from the Murim.

If the enemies were armed with steel swords, we needed similar weapons.

I took a deep breath and was met with the smell of something unpleasant.

Right now, I was crouching in a bathroom stall—the worst possible environment, but perfect for creating a martial arts manual without being noticed.

‘Well, let’s get started.’

I spread out the A4 paper and pen I had bought from the hospital convenience store.

Then, I muttered to myself.

‘Activate Secret Manual Creation skill.’

*Ding!*

– All materials have been prepared.
– The [Secret Manual Creation] skill is now active. You can create a manual for any martial art you have mastered.

– Available martial arts: Jinga Heart Technique, Jinga Step Technique, Jinga Spear Technique.

– Please select the martial art you wish to create a manual for.

There were no martial arts from the Yeolhwa Sect that I had mastered.

However, the Taiyuan Jinga family’s martial arts were stable, and their power was moderate.

I chose the most fundamental one among them.

‘Jinga Heart Technique, select.’

*Ding!*

– Are you sure you want to create a manual for [Jinga Heart Technique]?

**Y / N**

‘Yes.’

*Beep! Beep!*

– Intelligence insufficient! You lack the necessary intellect!

– Teaching is several times more difficult than learning!
– Creating a manual for a martial art of [Advanced] level requires a minimum intelligence of 100!

“…Ah, damn it.”