96. The Pursuers (1)

While Yujin’s party was off enjoying their sightseeing(?) in America.

Baek Seonghyeon calmly read through the neatly organized file.

“A hard story to believe.”
“We thought the very same thing, any number of times, before we submitted the report…”
“You’re telling me it’s all fact even after cross-verification?”
“Yes. Vice-President.”

Baek Seonghyeon rested a hand on the newly acquired chair and tapped the armrest.

— Tok. Tok.

A sound that carried on at even intervals. The secretary who had submitted the report studied Baek Seonghyeon’s expression with a tense look.

Some time passed. Letting out a long sigh, Baek Seonghyeon ran his eyes over the report.

Cheon Yujin — Investigation Report

Age: 24

Date of Awakening: 3 months ago

Unique Trait: Unconfirmed

Place First Sighted: the Garden of Antiquity

Ability Lineage: Presumed to be a Priest-Magic hybrid class group.

Grounds

① Witness statements that Cheon Yujin handled undead at the Forgotten Shrine and the Garden of Antiquity.

② Traces of an alien mana found on the corpses of the guild members deployed in the double-gate clear, Song Myeongseok among them.

③ …

Activity Since Awakening

Recorded by confirmed items rather than in chronological order.

• Confirmed to have driven the Red Spider out of Ground Zero and seized their businesses.

• Maintains some manner of relationship with the Seongcheon Group and Daehan Pharmaceutical.

• In partnership with his business associate Shin Junseok, commercializing the mass-produced mid-grade potion and running promotion for new medicines.

• The types and effects of the medicines require further confirmation.

• Appears to be on considerable friendly terms with Jang Miseon of the Phoenix Guild (the next Sword Saint).

• Close with the Galaxy Pub, which wields great influence over Korea’s underworld and commission trade.

Threat Level

• Factoring in his awakening period, his current Stellar Rank is presumed to be 3rd.

• The summon bestowed on him by a Constellation is confirmed to possess combat power at the 5th-Rank apex.

• The Scraps team members are also at 3rd Stellar Rank. Compared to Cheon Yujin, their threat level is laughably low.

• Data on his other undead summons is insufficient.

• Expanding his power base around a Black Herb farm. Related intel is still under investigation.

…

(Portions omitted)

“A Hunter three months awakened gnawed away fully half the Red Spider’s strength, hm.”

One of the Three Powers of Ground Zero. The Red Spider had been an organization that gripped the smuggling routes into the North, the Black Herb supply, and any number of other businesses besides. To Baek Seonghyeon, who had raised the Rakshasa Guild from the shadows, it was a name he couldn’t possibly have failed to know, and that only made the shock greater.

“Why is this fact not public knowledge?”
“The Galaxy Pub blocked the information from spreading.”
“Heh. They went to a tiresome amount of trouble.”

Even Arahan, Korea’s number-one guild, had failed to obtain intel on Yujin in time, all because the Madam had pulled her tricks. Had they known he’d wiped out half the Red Spider’s strength, they would have dug the trap far more thoroughly when they engineered the Daegu double-gate incident.

“The data on the borderlands is lacking.”
“We’re confirming it now. If you’d grant me just a little more time and budget…”
“Did I not say that excuses are a sin?”
“My apologies. Vice-President.”
“We have to find out what trick Cheon Yujin used in his fight with the Red Spider.”

An organization far too large for a Hunter three months into his awakening to handle. Only once they confirmed the hand Yujin was hiding could the Arahan Guild make its next move.

‘There will be no next time.’

Killing intent bled into Baek Seonghyeon’s eyes. The talent Arahan had invested in by every means at their disposal, Song Myeongseok, had died for nothing. And the contact they’d secretly made with House Romanov to establish a family had fizzled out, too.

And that wasn’t all. The double-gate incident, the joint clear. Whenever anything got tangled up with Yujin, Arahan’s good name ended up dragged through the dirt.

‘It brings that man Park Haneul to mind.’

— Brrrr.

The armrest of the newly acquired chair shook dozens of times a second. The secretary swallowed hard, gulp.

‘It’s not going to break again, is it?’

A chair made exclusively for Baek Seonghyeon, with Reinforcement Circuits engraved fivefold into the branch of an Ent. Even so, if a 7th-Rank Hunter put his strength into it in earnest, it would clearly hold up only a moment before shattering to bits. Maybe it was all the tension, but the secretary felt a stiff ache at the back of his neck.

“When do you expect the borderlands investigation to be finished?”
“It should take about two days.”
“Have it wrapped up by this evening.”
“Understood.”

— Clunk.

Left alone in the large room, Baek Seonghyeon shut his eyes for a long moment, then opened them. The cell phone sat in his hand. He deftly keyed in an unsaved number and pressed the call button.

“Yo, bro.”

A flippant voice spilled out of the receiver. Baek Seonghyeon furrowed his brow.

“Has the strong-moss supply problem been resolved?”
“Ah. About that. Would you believe I’ve only just now lined up some folks to do the work.”
“Your work is far too slow.”
“I had to look into who pulled the dumb stunt, you know. Had to set up measures to keep it from happening again, too. Show this old man a little understanding, Vice-President.”

A group secretly established by Arahan. Park Jinsu, the man in overall charge of the Rakshasa Guild, replied in a tone without a single gram of seriousness in it.

“Did you find out who the attacker was?”
“Magic-line. Just that he handles a twin-sword summon. The trail went cold in Gyeongju, so we’re still searching.”
“To whom did you entrust the pursuit?”
“Kim Mijeong. Seems she took quite a liking to this case.”

Baek Seonghyeon let out a short sigh, ah.

The woman who ranked third in the Rakshasa Guild and held the post of action-squad head. A 6th-Rank powerhouse with outstanding combat sense and tracking ability, but because she only threw herself into the parts that interested her, she was a hard one to handle.

“That’s troubling. I’ve got a job that needs doing.”
“Bro, cut us a little slack too. Running the businesses is already more than enough on my plate—what work are you trying to pile on now?”
“I intend to expand Rakshasa’s territory toward Gyeonggi Province.”
“And what about Ground Zero? Mounting an expedition against the spider bastards is too much.”
“You didn’t know? The Red Spider was recently driven out.”

Baek Seonghyeon briefly recounted the state of the underworld near Gyeonggi Province, which he’d learned while digging into Yujin’s background.

“A measly 3rd-Ranker ate up the spider’s turf?”
“I’d call it a fine opportunity to set up a branch in Gyeonggi Province.”
“Ah. But like I said. We’re a little short on hands ourselves, what with the strong-moss supply problem and all.”
“Then at least send me action-squad head Kim Mijeong.”

In his head, Park Jinsu worked the calculator without pause. Ground Zero, located in Paju. A place with an iron grip on the routes into the North and the smuggling trade near the West Sea. If only Rakshasa could plant its flag in Ground Zero, projecting influence beyond Korea across all of East Asia would become possible, too.

“That one, plus thirty 4th-Rank Hunters and seventy 3rd-Rank Hunters. Any more than that and I can’t manage the Busan operations.”
“How long will the preparations take?”
“Give me just two weeks, Vice-President.”
“I’ll give you one week.”
“Goddamn it. Tight as ever, then and now.”

The call cut off on a curse. Baek Seonghyeon tilted his head back and stared blankly at the office ceiling.

‘Now I can leave it to the Rakshasa Guild.’

There were no more variables. For all his light way of talking, Park Jinsu, the Rakshasa guild master, was famous for leaving no openings when it came to handling business. However outstanding Yujin’s talent might be, he was a Hunter only one year into his awakening. He didn’t know what scheme Yujin had used to gnaw down the Red Spider’s strength, but it wouldn’t work on the Rakshasa Guild.

‘By now the Madam will have passed the word along to Cheon Yujin.’

The Galaxy Pub seemed to have a close relationship with Yujin. Even for Arahan, Korea’s number-one guild, it was difficult to slip entirely past her information network. Which was precisely why Baek Seonghyeon meant to make use of the gap in it.

‘That the Rakshasa Guild operates under Arahan’s umbrella is known to no one but the Master and Park Jinsu.’

And if he mobilized the Rakshasa Guild, with whom Arahan shared a secret honeymoon relationship? Yujin, who was wary only of Arahan, would be struck hard across the back of the head and thrown into confusion. He would learn who his real enemy was only just before he suffered Rakshasa’s assault.

‘Cheon Yujin should be hearing the news and coming back to Korea around then. The timing fits perfectly, too.’

Having put his thoughts in order, Baek Seonghyeon gently closed his eyes. This time, he would absolutely not slip away.

Decades ago, just as Park Haneul, who had stood in the Arahan Guild’s path, had died for nothing and even had his records erased, Cheon Yujin too would be cut down before he could properly spread those wings of his.

“Arahan is digging into your background, Representative Cheon.”

After clearing the Ancient Proving Ground II and returning to reality. It was a message that came flying in the moment he powered on his cell phone.

— Beep. Beep.

“I’m sorry to bring you unpleasant news while you’re traveling abroad.”
“Travel, my foot. I just came out of a gate.”
“Ho ho. You’re a busy man.”
“How far has the Arahan Guild dug?”
“It looks like they’ve confirmed as far as the fact that you’re the new third of Ground Zero’s Three Powers, Representative Cheon.”

Hmm.
So in effect, they’ve confirmed most of my hand.

“Any unusual movements?”
“I put my full capabilities to work, but apart from the background-digging, there were no unusual movements.”
“There’s still a chance you missed something.”
“Ho ho ho. You’re joking, surely? Who do you take me for?”

Words carrying a note of pride. Rather than press the point, Yujin steered the topic in another direction.

“Look into the Rakshasa Guild.”
“That’s the outfit with a grip on the Busan-area underworld, isn’t it?”
“It’s a satellite guild Arahan raised. Once they’re done investigating, they’ll move it.”

A reply that didn’t come back right away. After a moment.

“Representative Cheon. This is the first I’m hearing of any such thing.”
“You didn’t know? Park Jinsu, the Rakshasa guild master, is the Arahan guild master’s half-brother.”
“Mmm. One moment, please.”

The Madam’s voice trembled faintly.

Heh heh heh heh.
She’s bound to be thrown, of course.
That Arahan stands behind the Rakshasa Guild, and that the two guild masters are half-brothers — that’s a secret that won’t come to light for at least ten years from now.
She must feel like she was strolling along without a care in the world when somebody shouted the ending of¹ The Usual Suspects in her ear.

‘No matter how much the future shifts, cause and effect of this sort isn’t about to change.’

The privilege of regression.

The parts I can put to use, I’ll wring for everything they’re worth.

“You won’t tell me where the information came from, will you?”
“Of course not.”
“Then it’s rather hard to trust.”
“I’m not asking you to trust it. I’m asking you to investigate the Rakshasa Guild.”
“Understood. Only, intel on the Rakshasa Guild runs a touch expensive.”
“Put the cost on my tab. I’ll pay later.”

Ending the call, he looked up at the sky above.

‘All right with what.’

‘The Rakshasa Guild will need time to prepare, too.’

As it happened, Yujin had recently given one of the organizations under the Rakshasa Guild a hard shaking. The incident where he smashed up the strong-moss supply source. They’d have to round up new laborers to go into the sea and harvest the moss. They’d have to remodel additional vessels to guard the uninhabited island, and recruit management personnel on top of that.

‘I’ve taken care of all my business, so it’s about time to head back.’

He didn’t remember in detail the lucky finds hidden across the sea. He knew the big, prominent events well enough. But to remember every petty little lucky find one by one, you’d need a perfect-memory ability or something.

When Yujin told the Scraps team they were heading back to Korea, the three of them looked as crushed as if the sky had come down.

“You said it was a trip abroad!!!”
“This is a bit much, Senior.”

The two of them flopped flat on the floor right out in the open. And Kang Minho, though he didn’t open his mouth, wore much the same feeling on his face.

‘And where’d the Constellation who was rushing me home just a second ago run off to?’

‘I haven’t decided yet whether to bring those guys in on this matter.’

The three of them had combat ability at the near-4th-Rank class. They just couldn’t use Aura or multi-stream calculation; thanks to their innate talent and Yujin’s cracking of the whip, they’d grown sharply stronger. Movable Fortress, Sync & Telekinesis, and Space; all of them were abilities well suited to creating variables in battle, after all. With the Scraps team along, dealing with the Rakshasa Guild would be a good deal easier.

‘I’ll think it over a little more.’

Putting off the decision, Yujin gauged the time he had left.

“Seems a bit cruel to come all this way and not play a single day before we go.”

— Gulp.

The Scraps team’s eyes bored into Yujin’s lips.

“I’ll give you spending money, so go get a taste of the casino.”
“Bro! You’re seriously the best! I love you!”
“Wooooo!!!”
“Boss. Thank you!”

The three of them were more delighted than the moment they’d obtained the Emblem of Valor.

Sheesh. These clueless kids.

Yujin’s party, unable to hold out against the Scraps team’s clamoring, headed for Las Vegas.

‘Why are you coming out of a place like this?’

In the basement of the casino, Yujin came face to face with an unexpected figure.