Chapter 199: Breaker Guild (3)
“Don’t cause any more trouble. Both of you need to behave. And Belare, especially you—no using poison.”
— Chirp.
— Ssss.
I wasn’t sure if they fully understood, but at least they responded well. For safety’s sake, it’d be better to keep Belare in the pen, but the two were so attached to each other that separating them felt wrong. Normally, birds and snakes were natural enemies, but for some strange reason, they got along well. To be precise, it was more like Chirp bossed Belare around.
…Liette wouldn’t be too upset, right? Though to be fair, her kid did attack first.
“Peace, if something weird happens, try to stop them, okay? I’m counting on you.”
— Kyang!
“You remember where the antidote is, right?”
Peace walked over to the drawer, pulled it open with his paw, and looked back at me. As expected of Peace—he’s so clever. While Belare’s poison control was excellent, I kept antidotes on hand just in case. They weren’t strong enough to neutralize an A-Rank poison completely, but with Peace’s stats, this level of preparation was sufficient.
The real issue was Chirp.
‘…Oddly enough, he’s never been poisoned.’
Just today, he passed through the hole in the kitchen door, which would’ve made it hard to avoid coming into contact with poison, yet he was perfectly fine. Same with the mana stone bottle. Could he possibly have an A-Rank or higher poison resistance skill?
‘Considering he can teleport, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had other skills.’
Not that I’d complain if he did have poison resistance. Still, I’d need to keep it hidden from the brats. The jellyfish from last time and their reactions to anomalies proved they’d try to harm him, claiming it was some kind of bug.
“I’ll be back soon, so all three of you behave while I’m gone.”
“Why don’t you set up some pet surveillance cameras or something?”
As I was leaving, Moon Hyunah made the suggestion.
“It doesn’t work very well. Belare’s a snake, and Chirp flies around.”
Unless I plastered cameras all over the ceiling and corners with no gaps, all I’d get was footage of an empty room. Or Peace napping alone.
“And when the cameras do move, they attack them. So I’ve only set up fixed cameras in the living room where the monsters hang out.”
I had taught them not to destroy things once they were properly installed, but whenever something new arrived—like a robot vacuum—it was smashed to pieces right away. I’d lost count of how many robot vacuums I’d gone through, though I kept replacing them because of Peace’s fur.
“Here’s a lint roller. The fur sticks especially to your socks.”
As I stepped out, I messaged Yuhyun to let him know I was heading to Breaker Guild with Hunter Moon Hyunah. Almost immediately, he called, asking if he should come along.
“You’ve got to prepare for a dungeon run, don’t you? Didn’t you say there’s an S-Rank dungeon you need to clear?”
[It’ll just be Peace and me again, so there’s not much preparation needed─]
“Why again?!”
Seriously, this brat! Reflexively, I raised my voice, and Yuhyun’s tone softened as if to calm me down.
[It’s just to check things over in preparation for the team restructuring. It’s an easy dungeon, so don’t worry.]
“Still, it’d be better to wait until after we get back from Japan.”
With stamina potions, even a small raid team would be relatively safer. Of course, it’s still best to maintain a proper team composition. After exchanging a few more words trying to convince him, I hung up.
“You’re really fun to watch, you know. Japan—was that the dungeon Sesung’s been poking around in?”
“Yes. You’ve heard about it, I see.”
“They said it’s a good dungeon to find A-Rank mounts. So, what’s the plan?”
After a brief hesitation, I spoke. I’d have to inform the Association soon anyway.
“We’ve decided the winner of a duel between S-Rank hunters will take it all. Yerim’s going to represent us.”
“Yerim? When’s it happening? Let me come watch this time.”
Moon Hyunah still regretted not getting to see the A-Rank rankings match. I told her the date hadn’t been set yet as we headed toward the parking lot. On the way, Noah landed nearby, glancing nervously at Moon Hyunah before greeting me.
“Safe travels.”
He looked so anxious that I asked if something had happened. Moon Hyunah, smiling, answered for him.
“I told him if I caught him, I’d give him a ride.”
“Don’t bully the kid.”
“It’s a trade, not bullying.”
What did she even trade for? Anyway, Noah sure was popular. I suppose being a dragon had something to do with it. Though, I’d like to remind everyone: Noah is a person.
As expected, Moon Hyunah didn’t bother with a seatbelt. Of course, I buckled mine. Though I was slightly on edge, thinking about how she was essentially a lancer on the battlefield—similar to Dragon Rider Kang Soyeong—the car moved surprisingly smoothly. She even obeyed traffic signals perfectly.
“I heard you have a good reputation among other hunters, especially female hunters.”
Despite her reckless reputation from being grouped with Seong Hyunjae and Yuhyun in the past, Moon Hyunah seemed well-liked. Well, Yuhyun was still young back then, going through his turbulent adolescent years.
“Did Soyeong and Yerim say good things about me?”
“Even without asking, it looks like you all get along. And it seems like you’ve taken good care of them.”
“Well, I’ve been through a lot too.”
Smoothly taking a curve, Moon Hyunah continued.
“Even after dungeons appeared and Awakeners showed up, nothing else really changed. Age, gender, race—all that stuff still mattered. You’ve had your fair share of trouble because of your age, right? At least you’re a guy. Imagine being an underage girl with no guardian. They’d have ripped you apart.”
Just thinking about it gave me chills.
“Even Seong Hyunjae must’ve been called a ‘kid’ plenty of times. He might’ve kept his composure outwardly, but back then, dungeon breaks often resulted in missing persons. Who knows what he really endured?”
“That’s a bit scary to think about. It really was a time when it was all too easy to bury someone. Even these days, if it’s a hunter, you can just chalk it up as a death during a dungeon raid.”
“My friends and I were part of the first wave of Awakeners, you know. Have you heard about it? How we all awakened as a group.”
“Yes. I heard there was a group like that.”
It had even made the news at the time—how a group of female professional athletes awakened all at once. Only Moon Hyunah was an S-Rank, but the group included many A— and B-Ranks, with the lowest being C-Rank. Considering they were top-level athletes recognized internationally, it wasn’t surprising.
“It was lucky for us. If we’d awakened separately, we’d have been picked apart. Since we stuck together immediately, forming a guild wasn’t hard, but getting properly established was a different story. Nobody wanted to take us seriously.”
“And you couldn’t exactly trample over all of them,” Moon Hyunah said, narrowing her brow.
“In the end, we compromised and accepted sponsorship. If I’d been alone, I might’ve pushed through to the end, but it wasn’t just me. I don’t regret it, but it does sting a little. That’s why, even now, I try to help whenever I can—not just my guild members, but others too. It’s not that hard to do.”
She smiled, adding that she was glad things worked out well for Yerim.
“I was a bit worried when I first heard Haeyeon had taken in a young S-Rank. And on top of that, she didn’t even have parents. It’s the perfect setup to get exploited.”
Now that I thought about it, she had shown particular interest in Yerim from the very beginning. At the time, I found it annoying.
“I didn’t think you’d be the type to do that, but you never know. Thankfully, Monster Dad here has done a great job playing guardian, so I’ve been able to relax.”
“I’m glad you’re around too, Hyunah. To be honest, I’ve only ever looked after my younger brother, so even now, I sometimes worry if I’m doing a good job.”
“If you’re ever curious about something, feel free to ask me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
We entered Banpo Bridge, and the Han River came into view beyond the car window. For now, only low-rank dungeons existed underwater, but eventually, even S-Rank dungeons would appear here. Those dungeons, due to their environment, were so difficult to clear that one even broke open once. With Yerim around now, that wouldn’t be an issue anymore.
“I heard most of Breaker’s hunters are women.”
“Oh, that? It wasn’t intentional. Our initial team was all women, so naturally, the leadership ended up being all women too. Because of that, male hunters tend to avoid us, while female hunters want to join. It’s funny, isn’t it? Once you’re inside a dungeon, age or gender doesn’t matter at all. Korea is a bit better in terms of racial or class issues, but even here… Sesung’s healer is Indian, right? I heard they were enslaved because of their low caste status and forced to work while their family was held hostage.”
“I’ve heard of many cases where Awakeners are trafficked. I’ve had a taste of that myself.”
“Well, you’re lucky to have a strong background, Director Han. If your stats had been F-Rank with only good skills, you would’ve been ‘disappeared’ in no time.”
If I’d awakened with my beast-rearing skills without knowing any better, I wouldn’t have thought to hide them. If I were lucky, I’d have been oppressed by one of the major domestic guilds. If unlucky, I’d have been dragged overseas.
Even in the pre-regression timeline, there were plenty of shady people who approached me simply because I was related to an S-Rank hunter. Some were driven by pure curiosity, even knowing there was nothing to gain. …Let’s not think about useless memories.
The conversation shifted to Japan, and then to China. I asked if there was a way to establish some kind of network through Yun Yun, but Moon Hyunah said surveillance on Awakeners was becoming stricter there.
“I’ve heard rumors about Awakener groups opposing the government, but I don’t know much. If anyone knows, it’s probably Seong Hyunjae.”
Him again.
“…What exactly was Guild Leader Sesung doing before awakening?”
“It’s clear he had connections even before awakening. At Sesung’s first-ever birthday party, several top-tier overseas hunters attended. Even Evelyn, who just joined Sesung recently, was apparently close with Seong Hyunjae back then.”
“First-ever birthday party? What is that even supposed to mean?”
“So, you’ve known Hunter Evelyn since then?”
“Yep. Don’t get too close to snakes. They’ll bite you.”
Moon Hyunah frowned as she said this. I guess the rumors about their bad relationship were true.
“You don’t seem to like her much.”
“Our personalities don’t mesh. I can’t stand her tone either. I like ranged hunters, but I hate it when she’s the one shooting from behind.”
It sounded like everything about her rubbed Moon Hyunah the wrong way. I wondered what their first meeting had been like.
The car entered Breaker Guild’s parking lot. Before it even came to a complete stop, a woman who seemed to be a guild member approached. As Moon Hyunah got out of the car, she asked:
“What’s going on?”
“Guild Leader Lee Hyoyeon from Woods Guild has arrived. She got here a little while ago.”
“Is that so?”
Moon Hyunah turned to me and asked:
“What do you think, Director Han? Want to meet her?”
“Would it be okay for me to join?”
“Of course. I’m sure she’d be glad to meet you. It never hurts to leave a good impression.”
“She already made quite the impression at the A-Rank rankings match.”
As expected of the winner of the rankings match, Lee Hyoyeon was an exceptional hunter. Moon Hyunah started walking ahead of me this time.
As we passed through the security area and headed toward the reception room, we encountered several people who greeted me with a mix of curiosity and friendliness. Some asked if I hadn’t brought Chirp or Peace with me, while others jokingly requested that I upload more photos and videos of Rok to social media.
As we entered the reception room, a female hunter stood up to greet us. It was Hunter Lee Hyoyeon, who, despite being a melee-type hunter, had her long hair tied up in a high ponytail. I hadn’t noticed it during the rankings match, but it seemed likely she had a related skill—after all, it’s rare for skilled hunters to leave something cumbersome like long hair unless it serves a purpose.
“Welcome, Guild Leader Breaker. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hunter Han Yujin.”
“Sorry for keeping you waiting, Guild Leader Woods. I brought Director Han Yujin along—hope that’s alright?”
“Of course, it’s perfectly fine.”
Lee Hyoyeon gave a playful smile, then shifted her gaze toward me.
“Thank you for hosting the rankings match. It made negotiations with the Association much easier.”
“Oh no, I didn’t really do much.”
Sure, I’d been the catalyst, but it was Seong Hyunjae who had truly carried it through. Still, it was good to hear that it had been an opportunity for A-Rank guilds to gain some leverage.
“So, what brings you here today? Is it about moving to Yeouido?”
“Yes. But we, Woods Guild, won’t be moving to Yeouido.”
Lee Hyoyeon’s response was firm, and Moon Hyunah raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
“Moving to Yeouido would bring a lot of benefits. For the sake of their own safety, those people would probably pump in plenty of support. Not that Woods is lacking, but since there used to be an S-Rank guild there, they’d probably throw money at you to bridge the gap. Your name value would grow too.”
They claimed it was hard to fund the costs for Haeyeon and the Breeding Facility, but when it came to bringing in an A-Rank guild, their anxiety would suddenly make them open their wallets. It was ridiculous.
“I’m aware. But we’ve decided to move to Daejeon instead.”
“Daejeon?”
“Yes. It’s also the hometown of Deputy Guild Leader Park Bora. We’ve requested the rights to the S-Rank dungeon managed under MKC Guild in Daejeon.”
Dungeons usually appear in proportion to population density. As such, rural areas tend to have fewer dungeons, and their levels are generally lower. Hong Kong’s rapid collapse was largely due to being a densely populated area—it had many dungeons with high average levels but lost hunters to China.
Because of this, the government had long sought to disperse the population. But with so many dungeons in Seoul and S-Rank hunters gathered there, it was easier said than done. Still, the population had decreased slightly compared to before the dungeons started appearing.
“Our ultimate goal is to manage all the S-Rank dungeons in and around Daejeon under Woods Guild.”
Lee Hyoyeon spoke with a confident expression.
“Compared to Busan or Daegu, Daejeon doesn’t have a properly established mid-sized guild since most high-level dungeons are handled by Seoul’s large guilds. We plan to start fresh and grow our influence from there.”
“Do you think it’ll be alright? It won’t be easy. There’ll be a lack of hunter-related facilities too.”
“Well, there’s a senior who started from nothing, after all.”
Lee Hyoyeon smiled at Moon Hyunah, who returned the smile.
“Alright. If you need any help, let me know.”
“I’ll try not to have to.”
“So, who’s going to move into Yeouido, then?”
Moon Hyunah muttered, and I interjected.
“Wouldn’t it be fine to leave it empty for a while?”
“Empty?”
“Yes. It’s not something we urgently need, is it? There are plenty of large guilds in Seoul already. It’s not far either—if you need to get there, a helicopter can get you there quickly. There’s no need to uproot well-established guilds from other regions just to force them there. People live there too, after all.”
If it were a newly established guild, that’d be fine. Yeouido is a good location for a fledgling guild to grow with support. But dragging guilds there just because politicians are whining about it is absurd. The way they were picking and choosing guilds was also irritating.
It wasn’t even an immediate danger, and it’s within range of the influence of large guilds.
“Let’s stall them until they can’t cherry-pick anymore.”
“How would we do that?”
Lee Hyoyeon’s eyes gleamed with interest. She must’ve felt some frustration after being rejected for Yeouido.
“It’s simple. Just make it seem like the Breeding Facility and Haeyeon Guild are hesitating about the move. If possible, bring Sesung into the mix too—it’ll be even more effective.”
Moon Hyunah burst out laughing at my suggestion, clearly pleased.
“Too bad Breaker can’t get involved. But I like the idea—keep them in check for now and pave the way for a decent new guild to settle in.”
“As you said, Hyunah, the location itself is good.”
“That’s true! I should start scouting for promising new guilds.”
Before heading back to her guild, Lee Hyoyeon and I exchanged business cards. She mentioned that it’d be great if Woods Guild could eventually acquire mounts as well and asked for my support in the future.
“Personally, I think Woods moving to Yeouido would’ve been fine too,” I muttered softly, looking at the closed door. If we stalled for a bit like I suggested, they might’ve reconsidered.
“Standing alone without ties to external powers has its own benefits too. If you receive something, you’ll eventually have to give something in return.”
Moon Hyunah’s tone was tinged with bitterness. Breaker must be one of those tied-down guilds. After three years, the entanglements must be deeply rooted. Could they ever cut them all and stand independently? This time around, at least?
“Hyunah.”
Even I hadn’t managed to stand on my own yet. Would I really be able to help? Despite the doubt in my heart, I opened my mouth to speak.
–TL Notes–
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