Episode 15. It Really Seems Like Our Guild is Doomed?!

“What did you just say?”

A penthouse with a stunning view of Seoul’s skyline.

The man lounging on the large sofa with a glass of whiskey had his face turn cold.

He slowly placed the whiskey glass on the table and asked again.

“Say it again.”

“Well… they said they can’t accept any of our proposals, so the deal is off.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Bang!

The man slammed his fist on the table, splitting the massive marble table in half.

A large man with dark skin wearing a white gown.

He was none other than Cho Jinnam, the Guild Master of the Scorpion Guild.

“How dare they mess with our Scorpion Guild and me?”

The meeting with the Association President had gone awry that day.

Everything planned since that day had fallen apart.

The deal with the Hunter Association, which was supposed to go smoothly, had completely collapsed.

“You.”

Cho Jinnam’s anger turned towards the Vice Guild Master.

“You said the Association President was in a desperate position and would definitely accept our proposal. So, what’s this about? Huh?”

“I… I have no idea what happened…”

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Cho Jinnam’s fist landed on the Vice Guild Master’s face.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“It’s not that…”

“You’re useless! I don’t need you anymore! Get him out of here!”

“B-Boss!”

A disposal order.

Men in black suits rushed in.

The Vice Guild Master, clutching his bleeding nose, ran to Cho Jinnam and begged.

If he got dragged out now, it was all over.

“Please! Just one more chance! I’ll find out everything! I’ll fix everything! Boss! Please! Just one more chance…”

“You think you can do it?”

“Yes, Boss! Absolutely!”

“So you’re saying you can do it with your skills?”

“Of course! Somehow, I’ll…”

Cho Jinnam looked down at the groveling Vice Guild Master and laughed coldly.

“Then why didn’t you do it earlier?”

“…What? That, that’s…”

The Vice Guild Master was at a loss for words.

“Get this stinking guy out of my sight!”

“A-Ah… Boss!”

And so, the Vice Guild Master was dragged away by the men in black suits.

Despite being the second-in-command of the guild, it took less than five minutes for him to be dismissed.

However,

Crack.

Cho Jinnam’s anger did not subside.

When things that were supposed to work out don’t, it can be deflating.

Cho Jinnam needed an outlet for his anger.

Then, a certain someone’s image came to mind.

“Could it be… that guy?”

Cho Jinnam recalled the incident at the Korean Hunter Association headquarters a few days ago.

The mysterious guy whom the Association President had rushed to greet in the lobby.

Who could he be?

The Association President’s secretary had said he was the son of a convenience store owner.

A convenience store owner’s son.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

Are they playing games with me, Cho Jinnam?

Cho Jinnam hated word games.

Especially when it felt like he was being mocked!

In the end, they unilaterally canceled the appointment that day, and now they want to call off all the deals?

“What the hell are these bastards trying to do? Are they challenging me?”

Fine. I’ll show them exactly who they’re messing with.

Of course, he couldn’t just storm the Association in a fit of rage.

Even as an A-rank hunter, one of the top hunters, it was too much.

But…

‘I can still cause chaos. Heh heh.’

Cho Jinnam couldn’t rest until he found that mysterious guy and gave him a proper beating.

“Find out about that guy.”

Cho Jinnam’s order was given.

“Two boxes of tomatoes, please.”

“Sure. Wait, aren’t you Yong-sik?”

“Haha. How have you been?”

“Where have you been? Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I was on assignment for about half a year. I’m back today.”

“Oh, you worked hard. You deserve a treat. I’ll throw in a bunch of bananas for you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“What are you talking about? Remember when you chased off those thugs causing trouble in the neighborhood? Thanks to you, the place is much better. It’s just a token of appreciation.”

“Please don’t do it next time. If you keep doing this, I won’t be able to come back. Haha. I’ll enjoy them this time.”

“Alright, alright.”

The man called Yong-sik left the fruit store in high spirits.

Everyone’s still the same.

Carrying the fruits in both hands, he headed to his workplace.

And there he arrived.

His workplace after half a year.

Taking a deep breath, he felt a wave of nostalgia as he returned to the guild.

“Ah, this air! I’ve missed it!”

His name was Choi Yongsik.

Though he called it an assignment, he had been gaining experience at a B-rank guild where his cousin worked for half a year.

He was grateful to the Guild Master who allowed it and to the guild members who supported him.

Now that he was back, he was determined to work even harder.

With a heart full of enthusiasm, he slowly entered the building.

“How have you all been?”

His booming voice echoed through the office.

“Guild member Choi Yongsik, reporting back! Haha!”

But,

“You, you rascal! You’re back!”

“Wow, look at that shiny face!”

“Hey, Choi Yongsik, I missed you!”

The guild members who were supposed to greet him enthusiastically… were almost nonexistent.

Huh?

The only one welcoming him was Ki Seungho.

In fact, Ki Seungho was the only one in the office.

“Oh, you’re here, Yong-sik.”

“Uh, why is the office so empty?”

Choi Yongsik placed the fruits on a desk and asked, bewildered.

“Well, that’s how it is.”

“Where is everyone? And where’s the Guild Master?”

“Half quit or moved to other guilds, and the rest are recovering from injuries. I wonder how many will come back. Sa Maryong said he’d be late today.”

“What?”

Choi Yongsik’s face, expecting a lively welcome party, started to twist.

“Oh, fruit.”

Ignoring Yong-sik’s feelings, Ki Seungho peeled a banana and took a bite.

“I was feeling low on sugar, so this is perfect.”

“Are we doomed?”

“You fool! Why would we be doomed? Our core strength is still intact.”

“Who’s the core strength?”

“Me.”

“We’re doomed.”

“You punk, you haven’t changed a bit. Anyway, welcome back. I’m stepping out for a bit, so watch the office. I’ll be back in about 20 minutes.”

“Where are you going?”

“Home. I left the window open. They say it’s going to rain today. Take care.”

“…”

Before he knew it, Choi Yongsik was left alone in the empty office.

Having returned after half a year with dreams of glory, the C-rank hunter began to suspect something was wrong.

It really seemed like their guild was doomed.

Oh no… this is driving me crazy.

He had even turned down his cousin’s persistent offers to join their guild…

As Choi Yongsik was about to fall into a deep funk, the door to the office opened with a jingle.

His dazed head naturally turned in that direction.

“Hello.”

It was a young man.

And a very handsome one at that.

“Who… are you?”

A face he’d never seen before.

“Why did it have to rain as soon as I left the house?”

Rain poured down on Ki Seungho as he closed the window at home.

Too lazy to go back for an umbrella, he let the rain soak him as he headed back to the guild building.

And then, the scene inside the office caught his eye.

“Listen up. Just because you’re a new hunter doesn’t mean you can get cocky. The hunter world isn’t as easy as you think. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Choi Yongsik was lecturing Tae Ihyun, who was cleaning the office with a broom.

“And an F-rank hunter? Ha, that’s not even a hunter. Just a sturdy civilian, nothing more, nothing less. Repeat after me. An F-rank hunter is not a hunter!”

“An F-rank hunter is not a hunter.”

“Good. I’m letting it slide today because it’s your first day, but from now on, you should be the first to arrive and finish cleaning before the other seniors get here.”

“Every day?”

“Of course. Who else would do it?”

“Well, okay. I understand.”

“You little brat! Answer loudly and clearly, like I told you before… mmph.”

Ki Seungho covered Choi Yongsik’s mouth as he was in the middle of scolding the newbie.

“Mmph, mmph! Phew! Oh? You’re back?”

“What… are you doing?”

“As you can see, I’m training the new recruit.”

“Training? You? Why?”

“Come on, senior. Didn’t I learn properly from you? Especially when the guild is struggling like this, I have to step up. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to turn him into an A-rank.”

“…”

“He might look polished, but he’s an F-rank with a whiff of incompetence. But now’s not the time to be picky…”

“…Stop.”

“What?”

“Stop it.”

“What are you saying?”

“Stop it! Stop it, you crazy fool!”

Suddenly, Ki Seungho, on the verge of tears, grabbed Choi Yongsik by the collar.

Why is he acting like this?

As Choi Yongsik, clueless about the situation, was grabbed by the collar, behind him,

‘Oh, this is refreshing. New. Interesting.’

Tae Ihyun, experiencing being bossed around by another hunter for the first time, was just cleaning the office with sparkling eyes.

The fun research continued.