Myeongga Guild (2)

Around that time.

Just like Kwak Hyeong-seok and Kwak Hyeong-su of Heuksaja, and Jang Si-hwan of the Jeonghwa Guild had expressed their admiration upon hearing the news about Kang-hoo—

Another person with a connection to him was also surprised after hearing the news from Cheongmyeong Detention Center.

It was none other than Lee Hyun-seok.

Warlord of The Abyss.

Leader of the anti-Jeonghwa faction.

That was the general perception of him.

Typically linked with organized crime such as human trafficking, organ trade, human experimentation, and elite criminal syndicates—

His image had been heavily manipulated by propaganda pushed by the Jeonghwa Guild.

To the citizens of Seoul, Lee Hyun-seok was a demon who would slaughter them the moment he set foot in the city.

Recently, however, The Abyss had also begun to engage in organized publicity, slightly shifting public perception.

This was largely due to a vast network of influencers they recruited using accumulated capital and evidence, positioning themselves closer to the mainstream.

Currently, all hunter-related social media platforms, including Huntergram, had become battlegrounds divided into two polarizing factions.

Although the majority still unconditionally supported and trusted the Jeonghwa Guild, the landscape had changed considerably compared to just a few months ago.

Where it used to be 99 to 1, now it felt closer to 85 to 15.

The voice of The Abyss was starting to sink into people’s ears to some degree.

Even at this very moment, tips about the Jeonghwa Guild’s wrongdoings were pouring in.

Yet Lee Hyun-seok wasn’t revealing any of it right away—he waited until he could secure more solid context before bringing it to the public eye.

The public was receptive to information, but they also had a tendency to ignore recurring issues as time passed.

Especially if the information lacked credibility, they would end up dismissing it altogether.

Understanding these traits well, Lee Hyun-seok waited for the right moment when the narrative and context aligned perfectly.

After all, there were still more people who didn’t believe in The Abyss than those who did.

There was no need to rush.

He had been fighting an uphill battle for a long time, and now he was in a more advantageous position than ever before.

“Uncle! Can’t you rest when it’s time to rest? Even in this situation, you’re still watching videos? Your eyes need a break too, you know!”

Smack!

Min Su-hyun struck Lee Hyun-seok’s back with a loud thud.

She had just finished changing the bandages on his wounds.

Lee Hyun-seok, who had taken a bullet to his side during the battle in Dongducheon, was currently taking time off from the frontlines to recover.

Min Su-hyun had volunteered to take care of him, and beside him was another male attendant.

Wearing a worried expression, the man checked Hyun-seok’s injury and asked,

“Hyung-nim, are you all right? If possible, please avoid the frontlines for a while. Just as Jeonghwa Guild targets Jang Si-hwan, they are also after your life above all else.”

Lee Hyun-seok chuckled at his words.

It was a laugh of complex emotion—he understood and sympathized but couldn’t abide by the request.

“There are thousands who look to me with trust. I hate the idea of just sitting back and playing war games with a map and pointing fingers.”

“But still, hyung-nim…”

“If I’m capable of moving, I’ll head out immediately. It’s the Jeonghwa Guild, after all. Their existence is what lets me feel alive.”

“Uncle, you do realize, right? Every time you say something like that, the people around you…”

“Look at me like I’m insane?”

“You know it well!”

“I do. I know. But to go against the Jeonghwa Guild, you have to be insane. You know why? Because Jang Si-hwan is even more insane.”

At his words, Min Su-hyun sighed and stepped away for a moment to fetch antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

Lee Hyun-seok glanced down at the freshly replaced bandages and gave the man in front of him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“Sang-oh, I’m truly grateful that you quit wandering and came to my side.”

“I don’t deserve such words.”

“I always found your news intriguing. I heard you fought several death matches in the Hongcheon Liberation Area?”

“Yes. My debut was a match against Jeong Guk-seon.”

“There was a 3x payout, and I heard a hunter bet 6 billion won on you in one go.”

“Yes. I don’t know who it was, but he turned that 6 billion into 18 billion. Then he bet it all again on the next match and raised it to 36 billion.”

Since Kang-hoo had been carefully hiding his identity at the time, Park Sang-oh had no idea that the hunter was actually Kang-hoo.

If he had known, both of them would have been shocked right then and there. But that was a secret only Kang-hoo knew.

“Anyway, I thought you might head to Japan, but I’m really thankful you came to stand with me. It’s a great help.”

“You know how I feel. I hate the Jeonghwa Guild as much as you do. I’ll be a great help.”

“By the way, Sang-oh, what do you think of Shin Kang-hoo? You have a sharp eye for people, so I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

Lee Hyun-seok’s gaze toward Park Sang-oh was subtly warm. It was a gaze of trust, a gaze that said he would believe whatever was said.

He had expected a long pause for thought, but Sang-oh answered immediately.

“I already heard back then that Shin Kang-hoo saved Su-hyun.”

“That’s right.”

“And I told you then, didn’t I? No matter the reason, if someone saved Su-hyun in the middle of Kimcheon Liberation Area, then from now on, only two paths remain.”

“Die young or become a legend.”

“Yes, that’s right. And it doesn’t seem to be the former, so he’s clearly heading toward the latter. Personally, I think if someone like Shin Kang-hoo were to side with the Jeonghwa Guild, it would be a huge headache.”

“Yeah. Back when he saved Su-hyun in the Kimcheon Liberation Area, I thought it was impossible too… and now he infiltrated the Cheongmyeong Detention Center and took the warden’s head.”

“The Shin Kang-hoo I know has no affiliation, no favored faction, and hasn’t shown any clear allegiance. You could call him neutral, but that also means he can change sides at any time.”

“He won’t be able to avoid Jang Si-hwan’s influence.”

“Yes, hyung-nim. But you already have a point of contact with Shin Kang-hoo, don’t you? Don’t just wait—be more proactive. A joker card is threatening even when you’re just holding it.”

“A joker, huh…”

“I know you’re holding back from contacting Shin Kang-hoo out of concern and care. But precisely because of that, now’s the time to make him choose a side.”

“To be an enemy or an ally?”

“Yes. People in ambiguous positions are hard to calculate. It’s better to have them clearly marked as enemy or ally.”

“That’s a reasonable point.”

Lee Hyun-seok nodded.

Even on second thought, Kang-hoo was truly a hunter whose true intentions were hard to grasp.

Hunters like Jeon Se-hyuk openly advertised their hatred for Eclipse. Their preferences were obvious.

But aside from his bad blood with Eclipse, it was impossible to tell where Kang-hoo’s loyalties lay.

If he himself was this interested in Kang-hoo, there was no reason to think Jang Si-hwan wouldn’t be as well.

There were times when a single hunter’s allegiance could change the entire game.

Lee Hyun-seok hoped that, if nothing else, Kang-hoo would not side with the Jeonghwa Guild.

There was nothing more dreadful than having such a skilled assassin as an enemy.

But what good would just worrying do? As Park Sang-oh said, it might be time to take more proactive steps.

Only then could he shift this passive relationship with Kang-hoo into something more active.

Lee Hyun-seok fiddled with the smartphone beside him. If he set his mind to it, he could contact Kang-hoo in an instant.

The meeting with the Myeongga Guild was arranged quickly.

By the time Kang-hoo arrived, all relevant members were already present, and every eye turned to him.

There were about twenty people in total.

Among them were familiar faces—Choi Ho-soo, the werewolf; Yeon Su-a, the shaman; and Jang Tae-jin, the qi gong user.

Also present were Guild Master Jang Sun-young and Vice Guild Master Baek Seong-ho, bringing the total to about twenty.

It was, as expected, Guild Master Jang Sun-young who extended her hand first for a handshake.

Her short blonde haircut left a strong impression, and she personally introduced each guild member to Kang-hoo.

It seemed like she was determined to leave a clear mark in his memory.

After the greetings were complete, Jang Sun-young lightly began the discussion about their current situation.

“Currently, we have ten members deployed overseas as mercenaries, and another ten are away on dungeon expeditions.”

“So you have about forty members total.”

“That’s right. A bit small in scale, isn’t it?”

“Well, they don’t call it a high-quality elite for nothing.”

Kang-hoo shook his head at Jang Sun-young’s modesty.

Not a single Myeongga Guild member was below level 300.

That alone spoke volumes.

Compared to guilds with hundreds of members under level 100, the Myeongga Guild’s actual combat power was far superior.

This was the inevitable gap caused by differences in level and stats.

It was not easy to overcome—and even the only method, numerical advantage, came with substantial casualties.

Jang Sun-young bowed deeply to Kang-hoo once more, expressing what she hadn’t had the chance to say directly.

“On behalf of the entire guild, thank you once again. Thanks to you, Shin Kang-hoo, we escaped the covert clutches of the Haeyeong Guild.”

“All I did was report the facts. I just acted in accordance with what benefited me.”

“That means you found our guild more favorable than the Haeyeong Guild, doesn’t it? That alone is something to be thankful for.”

“I think the most accurate way to put it is that I chose the guild that could offer me more benefits.”

Kang-hoo carefully steered the conversation back to a neutral point before it could lean too far in one direction.

Naturally, he had no fondness for the Haeyeong Guild. It was practically a limb of the Jeonghwa Guild—there was no way he’d like them.

But at the same time, there was no need to publicly express favor toward the Myeongga Guild either. Staying centered was enough.

“Well then… shall we talk further? Everyone, go take care of your own tasks. We’ll continue our discussion with Shin Kang-hoo.”

Jang Sun-young took control of the situation.

Soon, the guild members left one by one, and Jang Sun-young used her skill to create an opaque barrier.

It was a type of protection spell that blocked both sound and visibility from the outside.

Remaining in the space were Jang Sun-young, Jang Tae-jin, Park Dong-jae, and Kang-hoo.

Though not a Myeongga Guild member, Park Dong-jae stayed naturally, as he was considered one of Kang-hoo’s key associates.

This was also at the request of Jang Sun-young and Jang Tae-jin, and Kang-hoo had stopped Dong-jae when he tried to excuse himself.

With the four of them left for a more private discussion, Jang Sun-young was the first to speak again.

Her opening topic—

It was one Kang-hoo could not overlook.

“We’re planning to relocate the base of operations for our guild to the northeastern Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions.”