Chapter 564

When a company grows, what’s the first thing you should do?

Everyone will have a different answer, but every CEO has a dream tucked away in their heart.

Building a company headquarters.

‘Or in this case, should I call it an expansion?’

As I walked through the guild house, I suddenly stopped and looked down the corridor at the scene unfolding below.

“Hey, get the materials up here with gravity magic!”

“Okay, attention! Who here used to be a Tank?”

“Me.”

“Me too. But why?”

“Why do you think? Because I’m giving you work. Get over here—five F-ranks with one or two E-ranks mixed in.”

Rumble. Thud!

Glossy marble slabs floated up and down through the air, and every time the muscular giants swung their sledgehammers, the solid concrete walls shattered.

A hundred or so workers busily moving. Maybe because they’re all awakened, the construction speed is no joke.

Of course, the wages were just as high, but to a certain young tycoon with deep pockets, it was practically pocket change.

‘Now that there are more people, the guild house feels cramped.’

A few days ago, Chief Choi casually remarked on it, and immediately sprang into action.

I heard he bought up all the nearby land at a premium and started a huge expansion project, but it’s not my money, so I’m not bothered.

‘It’s not like it’s coming out of my pocket anyway.’

And I have my own things to spend on.

Fifty trillion in assets, untaxed, is gradually being whittled away depending on where it’s used, but compared to what’s left, it’s not even a drop in the bucket.

‘Fifty trillion… Even thinking about it again, that’s an unreal amount. Like the figure getting closer from down the hall.’

Ssshhh.

A giant man slid in like a ghost and suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, I saw your press conference.”

…Hyung, why are you here?

Staring at Magic Johnson in disbelief, I barely managed to speak.

“What is it?”

“Why?”

“That’s what I want to ask. Why are you here again today?”

“Just had some business to take care of.”

“It’s not because you needed the bathroom, right?”

“Of course not. I’m here to deliver something to Choi and check progress.”

“Do you eat your emails with your cereal?”

“Don’t tell me you’re uncomfortable because I’m here?”

“You didn’t actually think I wasn’t, did you?”

At my sharp retort, Magic Johnson sighed deeply.

“Hey, Jin. Sensitive guys like me really get hurt by harsh words.”

“…Hurt?”

I glanced at his thick neck and bronze, steel-like arms.

‘He looks like he’d be knife-proof.’
With a physique like that, he could switch to a melee Hunter any day.

And he’s not just all talk. If you look up “Magic Johnson staff” online, you’ll find a flood of related videos.

Everyone knows the story about him smashing an ogre’s skull with a staff supposedly made for magic. Fitness forums even debate how much that staff weighs.

‘A guy like that, sensitive? Yeah, right.’

Realizing what I was thinking, Magic Johnson shook his head.

“It’s not the body, it’s the heart. The heart matters, Jin.”

“Anyone with a sensitive heart wouldn’t survive the Great Cataclysm. You survived and became a hero because you’re strong.”

“Hmm. Hard to tell if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

“Take it as a compliment.”

Magic Johnson narrowed his eyes suspiciously and continued.

“Anyway, I saw your press conference. It was pretty significant.”

Press conference…?

I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment.

The official Blue House press conference I attended at the president’s request caused a huge stir.

I heard domestic ratings surpassed 70 percent, and it was a big story in the international media as well.

Even now, two days later, related search terms are still topping the real-time charts. It’ll probably stay that way for another week.

“Well, the broadcast accident helped, and ratings were great. I didn’t think you’d be watching, too, Johnson.”

“Jin’s every move is news in America, too. For some people, President Baek’s last words were especially meaningful. I’m one of them, of course.”

“Oh, that.”

“I was wondering why you propped up Mr. Lee so much, and then you really landed a blow, huh?”

“Well, it wasn’t really me… But from Seok Gojun’s perspective, it probably stung.”

It might not be the Warring States period, but legitimacy is still necessary when inheriting a massive organization.

And in that respect, Seok Gojun, who became Ares Guild’s new Vice Guild Master, was considerably lacking in legitimacy.

“Ares Guild is like a great empire. Even if you inherit shares by will, you can’t take over all of Mr. Lee’s influence. If you were blood-related, you’d meet the minimum in Asian culture, but that’s not the case, right?”

“Lee Jeong-ryong did have a son, but I heard he died young. He was just an ordinary, unawakened person, so even if he was still alive, he couldn’t have succeeded Lee Jeong-ryong.”

Modern guilds are like Murim sects. Just like a scholar couldn’t become the leader of Mount Hua Sect, only those with the strength and authority of a Hunter can be guild masters.

Magic Johnson, who understood this well, nodded.

“That’s true. On the other hand, Sseokkochun—despite his personal flaws—really does have the skills. I heard he passed the S-rank Hunter qualification test with an incredible score. Of course, with all the scandals happening lately, it was quickly buried.”

“It’s Seok Gojun, not ‘Sseokkochun.’ And anyway, that guy was Lee Jeong-ryong’s head of security.”

“That alone isn’t enough. He needs the support of the other founding members who made Ares Guild what it is today. But…”

“He didn’t have enough time.”

“Exactly. Time. Even when Mr. Lee wrote his will to prepare for emergencies, he probably didn’t expect to die so soon.”

But he did die, and Seok Gojun inherited the crown before he could secure his position as successor.

Being head of security meant he was a close aide, but that alone wasn’t enough to inherit the entirety of Ares Guild.

Even with Lee Jeong-ryong’s will, it’s not easy for elderly elders to serve a man in his thirties as their boss.

Especially since Seok Gojun started falling apart so quickly after Lee Jeong-ryong’s death.

And then, at a Blue House press conference with 70 percent viewership, his legitimacy was publicly denied…

President Baek Hanseong’s single line was both subtle and sharp.

He indirectly criticized Ares Guild for the mutated Gate incident, while praising Lee Jeong-ryong’s past achievements and presenting me as the one inheriting his will.

‘It was all completely staged.’

This press conference was a collaboration between President Baek Hanseong, who’d always had an anti-Ares stance even as a lawmaker, and Chief Choi.

They had prepped the reporters, handed out the questions, and guided the discussion in the direction they wanted.

Every line, every actor, perfectly prepared from start to finish. If Lee Jeong-ryong had still been alive, this script would have been scrapped, but Seok Gojun didn’t have the power to suppress a new underdog’s rebellion, so we were able to finish the broadcast without incident.

With a domestic audience rating of 70 percent and the spotlight of the international media.

“Either way, it’s another small victory. Times like this call for champagne. Where’s Choi?”

“Same as always—so busy he can’t catch his breath. If you’re lucky, he might be in his office right now.”

“He’s not.”

Magic Johnson shrugged.

“I just dropped by.”

“Ah. Something must have come up again.”

That’s nothing new. Even though he’s called ‘Chief,’ he’s basically been the real guild master from the start, and now, that’s how the world sees him too.

He’s probably one of the busiest people in Korea right now.

“Hey, Jin. Walk with me?”

“Sure. As long as we stay away from any dark corners.”

“Your jokes have improved.”

“…Please tell me that was a joke.”

I silently quickened my pace. Magic Johnson, gliding along beside me, grumbled.

“Jin, why do you always make me sound weird?”

“It’s because you always say weird things.”

“Hey, I’m just kidding. I have my own preferences too, you know. But you don’t fit them, Jin. Maybe that guy over there, though.”

Following Magic Johnson’s gaze, I saw a tall, good-looking man walk by.

“Haven’t seen that face before. Is he a new guild member?”

“…If anyone heard you, they’d think you’re one of our members. You barely know anyone here.”

“Nonsense! There’s no way I’d forget a guy that handsome!”

He’s weirdly confident about this stuff.

In this field, he’s like a ghost. I sighed quietly and replied.

“I don’t know his name, but he’s new. I think he’s a C-rank?”

“I don’t know who the last guild master was, but he must have wept bloody tears. With looks like that, he’d be a star Hunter for sure.”

“The previous guild master is probably crying for a different reason—after the disaster at the press conference, they were thoroughly humiliated.”

“Ah, so that means—?”

“Yeah. That guy used to be with Ares Guild.”

Switching from Ares Guild to Peace Guild isn’t just a simple transfer.

Magic Johnson seemed to get the gist and muttered.

“He’s living proof the iron wall is cracking. How many from Ares have come over so far?”

“Not many. Around ten.”

“It’s not about the numbers. It’s proof of a breach.”

I gave a small nod. If outsiders could see it, the internal fractures were probably even greater.

‘Of course, there’s always the chance Seok Gojun intentionally sent in a spy.’

That’s why we thoroughly vetted them and planned to bring them into the field gradually.

Even with my system, I can’t see what’s truly in people’s hearts, so Chief Choi’s information network is a huge asset.

“But what’s that place? Security looks intense.”

Lost in thought, I looked up.

Magic Johnson was pointing at a door made from titanium alloy.

“Oh, that? That’s the training room.”

“Training room?”

“Yes.”

“My god. Why is a training room so heavily guarded?”

Magic Johnson gave a snort.

“Five overlapping magic barriers. I get not wanting people to watch training, but for a space inside the guild house, isn’t that overkill?”

“I suppose so.”

I kept my answer brief. That training room was only for a select few.

Specifically…

‘Only those who practice the True Heart Technique.’

That’s a secret I still haven’t told Magic Johnson. Only Chief Choi, Butler Kim, Song-Yi, and Im Jeok-jung are allowed in there.

“Judging by the security, it’s not open to all guild members.”

I nodded at his sharp observation.

“That’s right. It’s only for me and the original founding members.”

“Hmm. So it’s a secret, huh? Hearing that awakens my curiosity as a mage.”

“Put it back to sleep.”

“You’re too much. Can’t I just have a quick look?”

I immediately shook my head.

“No. There’s someone inside.”

“Who? Choi?”

“No.”

Feeling a sudden pang of bitterness, I continued.

“It’s someone who wants to get stronger more than anyone else.”

“…There’s someone like that?”

I couldn’t see them right now, but the image was clear in my mind.

A middle-aged Hunter, sweating as if in a downpour, pushing through endless training.

Trying to get back up, hiding his crushed heart with forced nonchalance.

‘Maybe… it’s time to get that started.’

Just as the thought crossed my mind, Magic Johnson’s next words took shape in my head.

“No choice, then. If you see Choi, pass this on.”

“Huh? What?”

“This.”

Ssshhh.

A small object, brimming with subtle energy, slipped into my hand.

As I confirmed the chip’s presence and looked up, I saw the Grand Mage’s serious face.

“It’s not just Korea and America. Mana is spiking all over the world. Up seven percent from last year. It’s the first time a lucky number’s ever felt so ominous.”