6kv Chapter 25: The Curious Man They Call Guild Leader
Chapter 25: The Curious Man They Call Guild Leader
Chapter 25: The Curious Man They Call Guild Leader
"Wow. This is so refreshing. Is this the same guy we used to talk about? How on earth did you manage to get rid of that idiot? Our leader is truly talented."
Smack!
"Urgh...!"
Noh Song-rin's fist landed on the abdomen of Lee Gi-young, who was standing in front of him.
Gasping, the fallen Lee Gi-young bore the pain and quickly returned to his place. He maintained a stationary posture, staring straight at the wall in front of him with fervent determination.
"Can't you keep an eye on one kid while I'm away?"
"I apologize."
"Do you expect me to handle outside matters in this state, Gi-young?"
"I'm deeply sorry."
Lee Gi-young didn't even make eye contact with Noh Song-rin. The ones from Ujungdo knew what a vile character he was. Perhaps his persistence, stemming from a rough childhood, had made him obsessively determined.
That obsession spawned a possessive desire and allowed him to exercise charisma that swayed other Hunters. He could be more brutal than anyone else when something slipped out of his hands.
He was angry, regardless of whether Byun Jeong-cheol was useful or not.
'Just because he's from Ujungdo doesn't mean he can't return as a Hunter. But a proper guild would never accept him. What kind of lunatic would insert Party Leader Noh into Taesung? Sure, I'm a small-time player, but Party Leader Noh is...'
Lee Gi-young too had risen from humble beginnings, but he thought there was a problem in accepting these lunatics as the core Hunters of the guild.
It was somewhat fortunate that after Ju Se-ah assumed the Guild Master position, she didn't blatantly cause trouble.
And Ju Se-ah was not the only one to be cautious about. What about Jang Deuk-goo? If one clashed with him...?
'That would be horrifying. Well, can this guild even be considered a decent guild, with Jang Deuk-goo in it?'
Noh Song-rin landed a few more punches on Lee Gi-young before pulling back his fist.
"What really matters isn't Byun Jeong-cheol. You know why he couldn't really join our family, right? He wasn't worthy. The question is how that new Guild Leader will behave in the future. Unlike his predecessor, he's overly active in the guild. It could interfere with our business."
"Should we handle him secretly?"
"What about Jang Deuk-goo?"
"As long as we don't get caught..."
"Hah?! Do you think he'd behave if there's no evidence?"
"That's not it."
"And the Guild Master Ju is a problem too. She has let us be so far because we haven't crossed the line."
"But isn't it a line we have to cross eventually?"
"Definitely not now. Oh, this is a headache. A non-Hunter becoming the Guild Leader is troublesome. I would rather have a successful Hunter as the Vice Guild Master. At least he wouldn't want to deal with us."
Crossing his arms, Noh Song-rin sank into thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"For now, leave him be. It'll be trouble if we provoke him and he digs deeper. Concede to him as necessary. Pretend to obey. Nicely. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"And handle Byun Jeong-cheol. He dares to leave without my permission? He needs to be taught a lesson."
"Yes."
------
'No matter how you look at it, it's uncomfortable.'
Hunter Stat Evaluation (Percentile/Rank)
Noh Song-rin
Stamina 81 / A-
Strength 83 / A-
Agility 79 / B+
Magic Power 80 / A-
Physical Resistance 61
Magic Resistance 45
Average of the 4 Primary Stats 80.75 / A-
To be recognized as an A- rank, the average score of the four primary stats had to be between 80 and 83, and at least two ranks, including Magic Power, had to reach A-. Even if all the other stats were A-, if Magic Power wasn't A- rank, or if only Magic Power met the qualifications, the promotion was not recognized.
Judging by the basic measured stats alone, Noh Song-rin was an impeccable A- rank. While there could be stark differences among those in the same A- rank based on detailed stats and tactical evaluations, he was by no means a Hunter lacking in experience, given his monster hunting history.
With his capabilities, he was qualified to be a regular party member in an A-rank guild, or even an elite or an ace in a B-rank guild.
'Sadly, he's in a 'Rain-rank' (rank with one stat falling short of the standard). Well, it's unlikely that the representative of the Assault Team faction would be a 'Water-rank' (rank that just meets the minimum stat requirement).'
The point that kept bothering Kang Mu-hyuk was right here.
Taesung Guild was a guild that fell far short of B-rank in skill assessment.
Noh Song-rin was too valuable a rank to be in a place like this. He should have transferred to a higher guild sooner.
'Of course, the fact that he is from Ujungdo is a hindrance. But why on earth does this guild have so many members from Ujungdo?'
Ju Se-ah had said it was the result of external figures brought in by previous Guild Masters to seize control of the guild.
An embarrassed Baek Hyeonggyu scratched his head and waved. The employees were busy racking their brains, wondering if they'd just been bad-mouthing anyone. Even in private, uttering words that could get them in trouble with a Hunter was taboo.
"Why's the mood like this? What's going on?"
"So, is it true that Byun Jeong-cheol really left?"
"What? Byun Jeong-cheol?"
Na Dongpa also showed keen interest and quickly joined them, but once again, Baek Hyeonggyu, acting as if he wasn't present, slid in between the employees and sat down.
"Uh, that is..."
"Ah, my mistake. I'll cover the drinks today. Just continue with what you were saying."
When the employees, noticing the situation, began to speak, Na Dongpa pulled up a chair and sat down next to them.
After a while, the two Hunters exchanged stupefied glances.
"So, the newcomer isn't a Vice Guild Master but a Guild Leader, and he expelled Byun Jeong-cheol, who assaulted a manager, in a day?"
"Expelled is a strong word, it was more like a voluntary departure..."
"That lunatic would never leave on his own."
Baek Hyeonggyu firmly countered the employees' timid words, worried that they might be misinterpreted. He had concluded that this Guild Leader had played some kind of trick.
"What I can't believe more is the sauna incident. Is that true?"
As Na Dongpa, who had been silently listening, asked this, one of the employees responded.
"I saw it myself. I had to run an errand to the sauna when I was called from the expedition team."
"Senior Jang is not the type to enjoy saunas. He met with Team Leader Do Gyeong-hoon... Why did a man who has been quiet so far make a move now?"
During the few days he was away, there had been mysterious movements within the guild.
Both Baek Hyeonggyu and Na Dongpa were Hunters who didn't care how the guild flowed, but they didn't like movements they were unaware of.
"Bro, it looks like we need to visit the office for the first time in a while, right?"
"Right. I'm curious about this Guild Leader."
------
The next day, 10 am.
Kang Mu-hyuk, who had scheduled a meeting with the Guild Cooperation Division, commuted to the Seoul Government Office building with Ju Se-ah in tow.
As soon as they parked in the basement, as previously arranged, an official approached them.
"Hello. I'm Park Choong-soo, who spoke with you on the phone."
"I'm Ju Se-ah."
"I'm Kang Mu-hyuk."
"We have a direct elevator for security. Please, this way."
Kang Mu-hyuk was satisfied with only Park Choong-soo coming out to greet them.
'The fewer people who know, the better.'
Kang Mu-hyuk's Guild Leader appointment article was just about to be released.
Whether good or bad, all guilds would be paying attention.
If news that Ju Se-ah and Kang Mu-hyuk had visited the Guild Cooperation Division overlapped with this, they had no idea what kind of interference might occur before they could proceed with their work.
The Guild Leader system itself was an obstacle to the large guilds, and there were sure to be Hunters eager to sabotage it outright.
The place Park Choong-soo guided them to was not the Guild Cooperation Division but a small conference room in the corner of the building.
As they entered, a middle-aged man with a bulbous nose and gold-rimmed glasses welcomed them warmly.
"I'm Cha Gil-joo, the head of the division."
"I'm Ju Se-ah, the Guild Master of Taesung Guild."
"I'm Kang Mu-hyuk, the Guild Leader of Taesung Guild."
"We're a bit cramped here. We're sorry for the inconvenience since we're conducting this covertly. Please, have a seat."
As soon as Cha Gil-joo took his seat of authority, Kang Mu-hyuk began speaking.
"Thank you for making time for us, despite our urgent meeting request."
"I originally had a meeting with the minister."
"..."
"But as soon as I mentioned the North Pocheon base, they readily conceded. That indicates its importance. The special activity area is more of a dangerous zone than a resource gathering area, at least for now."
"Perhaps the flow will change a bit in the future."
Kang Mu-hyuk pulled out the documents he had prepared and handed them over.
Cha Gil-joo cautiously received the papers and began to review them. Each time he turned a page, he adjusted his glasses. His eyes were filled with a curious light.
Despite having company, he didn't skim through but read meticulously, word for word.
Kang Mu-hyuk and Ju Se-ah waited patiently until he finished reading.
"Hoo~ You didn't show me everything. All these various plans are heading somewhere, but there's no actual result. It feels like I'm only seeing half of a blueprint."
"To see the other half, you need to pay a worthy price. What will you do? Would you like to see it?"