Chapter 13
He heard the sound of Jang Han-bit and a figure suspected to be the Land Cleaning Guild’s master walking in.
“So, the guy who bought a bunch of invisibility scrolls is the one who smashed the pillar in my department store?”
“The possibility is low, but I believe we shouldn’t rule it out entirely.”
“Jae-hyun.”
“Yes.”
“Park Jae-hyun.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think I made you the master of the Land Cleaning Guild to look into useless crap like that?”
Park Jae-hyun.
So he really was the Land Cleaning Guild’s master.
In his past life, there was a time when Black Label was annihilated and Hwang Ji-young was found dead.
Back then, aside from being on friendly terms with Hwang Ji-young, he also had a bad relationship with Hanbit Capital, so he had personally tried to find the Land Cleaning Guild’s master.
However, the Land Cleaning Guild’s master, who had grown by devouring Black Label, had become a mysterious figure who could never be found.
‘But that guild master is down here?’
Hyuk-min focused harder, listening intently to their conversation.
“I apologize.”
It was a relief that Jang Han-bit was a fool who only knew money.
But there was something he was more curious about.
‘How on earth did Park Jae-hyun figure it out?’
He had thought it was impossible to notice.
Invisibility scrolls and the Shindang-dong department store.
There was no connection between them in the first place.
But to link the two like this…
It was something no one would ever imagine unless they were a person who was cautious beyond necessity.
But the one who said this just had to be Park Jae-hyun, the guild master of the Land Cleaning Guild that had annihilated Black Label.
He didn’t know how he found out, but to think he had just guessed, his sharpness was extraordinary.
‘That guy should have been under me.’
The coexistence of relief and regret was brief.
Along with the sound of the two figures sitting in chairs, Jang Han-bit’s voice was heard.
“What happened with that thing I told you to look into before?”
“If you’re referring to the Shadow Broker executive, we’ve found and contacted him.”
So that’s how he found out about the invisibility scroll sales that he absolutely shouldn’t have known about.
To think he had even met and contacted a Shadow Broker executive.
He once again thought that this man was truly not someone who should be under such trash.
However, in both the present and the past life, Park Jae-hyun was the worst enemy to Hyuk-min.
With all the troublesome Azure Lake Guild members gone, Hyuk-min decided to slowly begin his move.
‘Shall I start now?’
For the first time since sneaking into the house, he carefully tore an invisibility scroll.
“Not that, you idiot. I’m talking about the Legendary Title holder.”
“I apologize. We are still in the process of searching.”
“Let’s change the priority. Finding the Legendary Title holder is the number one priority now.”
“Was this a request from the Azure Lake Guild?”
“Yeah, I promised to send them eight guild members. I was already annoyed because the warning signals have been going off lately, making me lose sleep, so it’s a relief.”
“If you command it, I will change the priority.”
“Right, you should. Here!”
Thump.
“Isn’t this what you came to get?”
A thick stack of US dollars was placed on the table.
It was five bundles of 100-dollar bills.
The large sum of 50 million won in Korean currency was enough to make even the expressionless Park Jae-hyun flinch for a moment.
He met eyes with Jang Han-bit, who was grinning widely.
“I don’t just say things. I’m planning to make you guys not just the best in Seoul, but the best in the Republic of Korea. Where was it, Black something.”
“Are you referring to Black Label?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking of swallowing them up as the final step.”
It didn’t end there.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Jang Han-bit, who had paused for a moment, stared straight at Park Jae-hyun and continued to pull out large wads of cash from his pocket.
A total of 10 bundles of 100-dollar bills.
100,000 dollars, a sum of roughly 100 million won in Korean currency, was now on the table.
He boldly pushed the money toward Park Jae-hyun and said,
“I’ll provide the money. You just do what I tell you and run that Land Cleaning Guild well. Just do that. Money? Manpower you need? I’ll take care of it all. What else, force? What’s there to worry about? We have Oya, the Azure Lake Guild master.”
He patted Park Jae-hyun’s shoulder.
“How easy is that to grow? Got it? The Legendary Title holder. You find him faster than the government, okay?”
There’s no loyalty when money is involved.
Park Jae-hyun, who had been contemplating for a moment, seemed to have made a decision as he neatly put the large sum of money before him into his pockets and asked,
“May I ask one thing?”
“What is it?”
“What happens when you find the Legendary Title holder?”
“I heard they’re going to kill him. That’s the only way Oya can take it, or something. Still, it’s not a bad thing for our country. It’s better for our Oya to have it than some useless bastard, it’ll be good for the country too.”
“…..”
A brief silence fell at the mention of killing.
“Jae-hyun, let’s get to work. I know what you’re worried about, but you can’t get anything done if you worry about every little thing, right? You have things you need to do by earning a lot of money, don’t you? Isn’t that right? Just think about that.”
When there was no response this time either, Jang Han-bit suddenly changed the subject.
“By the way. I’m not interested in Dungeons or the Tower, so I don’t know much, but a Legendary Title. Is it that amazing? Enough to make money move like this?”
“Yes, if his identity is revealed, the corresponding stocks will move according to the Legendary Title holder’s actions.”
“Wow, it’s that much? An individual can change the stock market?”
“The global stock market will also change.”
“Crazy, so that’s why. That’s all anyone talks about these days, wherever I go. It’s gotten to the point where you can’t even have a conversation if you don’t know about it. Why is everyone making such a fuss about Titles and Stats and all that? In the end, the world runs on money. Am I wrong?”
Ding. Dong. Ding.
A luxurious-looking clock chimed, announcing midnight.
At that, Park Jae-hyun rose from his seat.
“May I take my leave?”
“Yeah, go on. A week should be enough for the Legendary Title holder, right?”
“I will try to find him within a week.”
“You have to be faster than the government. It’ll be a headache if his face gets known.”
“Yes….”
“Go.”
This time, Jang Han-bit didn’t see him out.
The sound of a chair scraping and the sound of someone leaving were one.
What could be so amusing?
“Hahahaha! Kuhahahaha!”
As soon as the Land Cleaning Guild’s master, Park Jae-hyun, left, the laughter of the now-alone Jang Han-bit filled the massive mansion.
He probably thought no one could hear him, but Jang Han-bit didn’t know.
In his mansion, where he thought he was all alone.
He didn’t know that a nuclear bomb that would shatter their seemingly ever-successful plans was curled up and waiting.
= = =
Clink. Clink.
“Hm?”
It had been about an hour since the lone Jang Han-bit started tipping back his glass.
Drunk and dizzy, his vision spinning, a strange sound reached his ears.
Thinking he had misheard because he was drunk, he snorted with a smirk.
“Must be a ghost. Heh heh.”
Creeak.
“…..?!”
Then, he suddenly heard the sound of a door opening or closing.
In that instant, a chill ran down Jang Han-bit’s spine.
His eyes, wide as they could be, stared in the direction the sound came from.
“Ah, was the bedroom window open?”
It seemed to have come from the master bedroom, but the door was shut tight, just as it was when he first came out.
Just as he was about to reassure himself with that thought.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Crash.
A loud noise from the master bedroom sent Jang Han-bit tumbling backward, chair and all.
He must have hit his head, as he got up, scratching the back of it.
Thanks to that, Jang Han-bit, now instantly sober, forgot the pain and stared at the master bedroom with a trembling voice.
“Wh-what is it? I-is it really a ghost?”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Ugh, uwaaaah!”
The sudden, loud, rhythmic noises after the silence were loud enough to make the entire house vibrate.
Jang Han-bit screamed at what sounded like something breaking.
It was then.
Twang~
A different sound from before was heard.
“Uh…?”
It wasn’t unfamiliar.
Because that sound was all too familiar to Jang Han-bit.
Of course, it was also a sound that should absolutely not be heard right now.
“Wait a minute.”
His gaze changed.
The Jang Han-bit who had been trembling in fear was gone.
“My safe?!”
It was just like Jang Han-bit, who was crazy for money.
The man who had been screaming about ghosts just moments ago was gone, and he scrambled and ran into the master bedroom like a madman.
He threw open the closed bedroom door and shouted.
“Which crazy bastard are you!”
And the sight he was met with was no ghost.
It was a person, standing at the wide-open window, ready to flee.
Yes, it was a person.
Moreover, it was Hyuk-min, who had entered the house with the full intention of robbing it.
“You, who are you!?”
He rushed to grab Hyuk-min, but Hyuk-min was not someone to be caught by Jang Han-bit, whose Stats were no different from an ordinary person’s.
He slightly turned his head, glancing at the yellow-haired Jang Han-bit.
Then he quickly looked out the window to prevent Jang Han-bit from seeing his face.
Fwoosh.
At the sound of him rushing over, he silently raised his right hand.
As if he had made up his mind, a blue mana shimmered like a heat haze over his right hand.
And then.
Pang! Crackle!
“Urk!”
As he clenched his fist, a tremendous electromagnetic field spread out in all directions, sending the charging Jang Han-bit flying backward.
In an instant, the electromagnetic field swept through his entire body.
“Wh-where do you think you’re going!”
Jang Han-bit’s body wouldn’t move properly due to the magnetic field.
However, Jang Han-bit’s greed for money was by no means weak.
He put all his strength into his staggering legs and forced himself up.
Thump!
But seeing Hyuk-min already step on the windowsill and jump high, Jang Han-bit screamed loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.
A light jump, but a Divinity that was not.
With a single leap, Hyuk-min was already almost at the main gate.
“Stop right there! I said stop!!”
No one would stop just because they were told to.
He considered jumping over the windowsill himself, but seeing Hyuk-min already disappear beyond the main gate, he chose to give up rather than chase.
He turned and surveyed the room.
The dented and broken safe door, wide open, and its completely empty interior.
The moment he saw it, he pulled out his phone without hesitation.
“Oya! I’m sorry to call so late! There’s been a break-in at my house… could you send some guild members over right now?”
= = =
Less than a minute after calling Park Chung-ho, 10 guild members had gathered at Jang Han-bit’s mansion.
Among them was the Azure Lake Guild’s raid captain, who had been talking with Jang Han-bit.
“Three of you stay and check for traces. The rest, search outside. He couldn’t have gone far.”
“Yes!”
“What is the advisor doing?”
At the raid captain’s question, Park Jae-hyun, who had arrived after receiving Jang Han-bit’s call, answered.
“He is checking the CCTV. But it will be useless.”
“Why is that?”
“That safe. It’s a 40-million-won special safe made so that no one below Level 70 can break it.”
“70…?”
The raid captain’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How many people in the Republic of Korea are over Level 70? How many are in the Azure Lake Guild?”
“The Guild Master, the Vice-Guild Master… and me. That’s it.”
“At most, three in a guild, usually one. Would such a person break in without even considering the CCTV? While taking even documents that seem unnecessary?”
As soon as Park Jae-hyun finished speaking, Jang Han-bit appeared, panting heavily.
Was it as Park Jae-hyun said, that nothing was recovered from the CCTV?
Unable to contain his anger, he yelled at the top of his lungs.
“There’s nothing! Nothing!! No matter how much I look, there’s not a single trace!”
As Jang Han-bit collapsed to the floor, the raid captain approached and asked him,
“Were the plans for the third basement floor also in the safe?”
Whip.
In an instant, Jang Han-bit’s eyes turned into daggers as he looked up at the raid captain.
His gaze was so venomous and full of killing intent that even the raid captain flinched.
“That’s the biggest problem! Ah… what do I do. How do I tell Oya about this!! More importantly, he definitely wasn’t holding anything in his hands…”
1 AM.
An unprecedented robbery put the Azure Lake Guild and the Land Cleaning Guild on high alert.
= = =
[1 second.]
[0 seconds.]
[Regression Mode has been deactivated.]
[Cooldown will now begin.]
[1 second.]
[0 seconds.]
[Invisible Skill has been deactivated.]
How far had he run?
Hyuk-min appeared near the deserted Gyeongbok Palace.
In his hand was a handful of scroll remnants, from who knows how many he had torn.
“Inventory.”
Just in case, to leave no trace, he put all the scroll remnants into his Inventory.
Then, he took out an item that wasn’t there before.
[Hanbit Department Store Experiment Plan.]
“So it was in the safe after all.”
That was a really close call.
He realized it the first time he struck the safe.
He had hit it with all his might.
But the fact that not a single mark was left meant it was no ordinary safe.
‘Thanks to that, I found out.’
He became certain that everything he was looking for was inside.
He used Regression Mode, and with its power, he opened the safe door without much effort.
Then, without even looking, he threw everything inside into his Inventory.
Of course, before leaving, he also gave them the gift of his Electromagnetic Field Skill, which destroyed all the CCTV, so the guy was probably going crazy right about now.
Flip.
Hyuk-min, having cleaned out everything of Jang Han-bit’s, immediately opened the experiment plan and began to read.
Everything would be in here.
What on earth they were trying to do.
And what had destroyed Hyuk-min’s family.
He began to meticulously examine every detail of the plan.
The first line of the plan.
[Forced Dungeon Development Experiment.]
A phrase that already made Hyuk-min recall memories of his past life jumped out at him.
His hands trembled on their own.
‘No way…’
Until now, he knew nothing.
He had just thought his father was unlucky, trapped and lost inside a Dungeon, and that was how he died.
But… but to think that wasn’t it.
His anger boiled over, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.
“Was this the reason?”
His father hadn’t died because he was unlucky.
Not a single bit of luck was involved in the hellish process he had endured in his past life.
He had simply been a pawn in the games of those crazy bastards.
Grit.
He ground his teeth, and his stomach churned.
“You… will never die a peaceful death.”
Crumple.
The plan was mercilessly crumpled in his clenched fist.
His chest felt tight, as if someone was grabbing his heart and squeezing it.
It seemed the plan wasn’t the only thing that was crumpled.
The self-reproach Hyuk-min felt for knowing nothing about his parents’ unjust deaths in that life was deeper and more numerous than the creases on the crumpled plan, wringing his heart.