Observer (2)

“First, the acquisition of Observer authority was unanimously approved. This is the official document. They say this is an era where scraps of paper are meaningless, but at the very least, it can serve as a token of trust. Shall we post it on the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps’ official homepage as well?”

“No, that’s all right. It isn’t news I particularly want to boast about to others. As long as the promise is kept, that’s enough.”

“Hoho, I knew you would say that. I think the same. There’s no need to officially certify the close relationship between our Cheong-an and you, Kang-hoo.”

“That’s right.”

Kang-hoo and Lee Ye-rin looked at each other and nodded. They had been thinking the same thing from the start.

When it came to being prudent and cautious, Lee Ye-rin’s disposition was always similar to his. That was why conversations with her were comfortable in some ways.

“Shall I explain the Observer again?”

“I know it all, but Cheong-an’s interpretation of the concept may be different, so I’ll hear it once.”

“First, Kang-hoo, you have no obligation regarding any actions taken by the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps. In other words, you’re free.”

“Continue.”

“But since you’re an Observer appointed by Cheong-an, you can enjoy all the rights. The representative one is, of course, the right to access dungeons.”

“It’s the same. I understand.”

“To add one more thing here. We, Cheong-an, are sincerely grateful to you, Kang-hoo, for ending the long-standing Three Kingdoms of Daejeon.”

“I merely worked as much as I received. I didn’t do more, and I didn’t do less.”

“I know. But since that benefited Cheong-an, of course we have no choice but to be grateful.”

At first, he had not fully sympathized with why Lee Ye-rin repeatedly expressed her gratitude.

But after listening to her words, thinking them over, and putting himself in her position, he naturally nodded.

The years-long power struggle in Daejeon had ended in victory, so how relieved must she feel?

Cheongmyeong Detention Center, which had many mana-stone mines, had also fully become the property of the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps, and the same was true for Heuksaja’s prime dungeons.

Calculating only the total value of the dungeons, Cheong-an had grown by more than two and a half times compared to before absorbing Heuksaja.

“Now, I’d like to discuss the transfer of seven dungeons. You said you had a different thought, right?”

“Yes. I’d like you to give me rental authority over all the dungeons. I don’t need much. As long as I can get the opportunity to clear each at least once, that’s enough.”

“……That is the changed request?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“This is a loss for you, Kang-hoo. Hunters wanting dungeons of their own is as natural an instinct as wanting to earn money, you know?”

Lee Ye-rin made a puzzled expression. It was the reaction he had expected.

She was right.

If one owned a dungeon, one could clear it at any time, and once the clear was finished, one could wait for it to reset and enter again to seek growth.

The reason hunters could not grow continuously was because they did not own such “dungeons.”

They had to receive permission from guilds, warlords, or regional powers to enter, and it was not easy to obtain the opportunity.

“I’m not the type to keep going to one dungeon steadily anyway. I want more varied opportunities to experience and learn new patterns.”

Kang-hoo made an appropriate excuse.

Of course, his real purpose was different.

Since every dungeon had middle bosses and main boss monsters, killing them and plundering their skills was a much greater benefit.

Wasn’t that so?

If he went to one dungeon and fully cleared it, increasing his skills by two was “guaranteed.” There were no variables either.

So clearing seventy dungeons was bound to be far more beneficial than owning seven dungeons.

However, since Lee Ye-rin did not know Kang-hoo’s skill acquisition mechanism, she could only tilt her head.

“If that’s what you want, Kang-hoo…… then let’s do that! But there’s no taking it back, all right?”

“That’s what I want to say.”

“I’ll rewrite the contract and come back. Could you wait a little?”

“Not just a little, I can wait a long while too. Bring it slowly.”

“Then we’ll stamp the contract, and have tea time while we’re at it?”

“As much as you want.”

“What would you like?”

“If you have Solarkium Burst, please give me some of that. I don’t know whether you have it, though…….”

“You have very unique tastes. All right. There’s a bar inside the building, so I’ll contact them and have it brought out.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Ye-rin’s gaze turned strange as she watched Kang-hoo ask for Solarkium Burst.

That was understandable, because Solarkium Burst had an “adult taste.” It was not a flavor just anyone would easily seek out.

The contract ended smoothly.

Now Kang-hoo was guaranteed the right to access every dungeon owned by the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps at least once.

In addition, if the dungeon was not currently being cleared, he received the consideration of being able to enter immediately.

He would receive priority first. From the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps’ perspective, there was also no need to leave dungeons with no clear schedule empty.

The tea time that followed.

Kang-hoo drank Solarkium Burst, and Lee Ye-rin drank black tea. She said she had recently become deeply interested in black tea.

Around the time they exchanged a sip of tea and a word of everyday conversation,

‘She contracted with Lee Ye-rin faster than I thought. This constellation contracted with Lee Ye-rin near the very end of the original work.’

Kang-hoo looked at the constellation information newly added to Lee Ye-rin while he had not been watching and made a surprised expression.

Based on the original work, it was a constellation that would not form a connection with Lee Ye-rin for at least three years from now.

Yet now, it was already sitting proudly in her constellation window after having finished a contract with her.

‘Just the contract alone would have raised her level by over 100 at once. It did in the original work too.’

King of Radiant Flames was not an ordinary constellation. In terms of rank alone, it ranked far higher than Lee Ye-rin’s main constellation, Observer of Chaos.

Its rank in the original work was 35th.

It was slightly lower than Kang-hoo’s main constellation, Seeker of Pure Darkness, but it was positioned higher than Cataclysm – Darkness.

The meaning of the description that it amplified all latent abilities inherent in past growth was simple.

It meant applying an additional value to the experience gained in the past and retroactively applying it to the present.

She had levels and experience built up until now, and since that was inflated, of course her level had no choice but to rise.

‘If that’s the case, Lee Ye-rin’s current level should be at least 500 if estimated low, and if estimated high, she might be approaching the 600s.’

It felt as though his perspective had changed completely.

On one hand, since it was the growth of Lee Ye-rin, who was in the position of an ally, it felt pleasant rather than threatening.

Should he say it felt like watching the growth of a close comrade? Rather, he felt anticipation.

As long as Kang-hoo did not betray Lee Ye-rin, he had no calculation that she would betray him.

Around the time the two had emptied about half their cups, Lee Ye-rin brought up what she had been meaning to say for a while.

It was something Kang-hoo had inwardly been waiting for.

“I think it’s time to talk about it, so I’m going to say it. Actually, it doesn’t matter if you know, Kang-hoo, and there’s nothing to fear even if it becomes known.”

“If it’s something I may hear, I’ll listen. I have no intention of saying it anywhere else, though.”

“The light and darkness of Jeonghwa Guild. I’ve come to know far too much darkness hidden behind the light that has been excessively packaged until now.”

As expected, the topic was Jeonghwa Guild.

It was a context connected to the Glory Alliance’s earlier call for the formation of an anti-Jeonghwa alliance.

The official response had been rejection, but that was probably image-making. In short, it was a rigged game of Go-Stop.

Lee Ye-rin continued speaking.

“My judgment is that I can no longer sit by and watch. I also can’t pretend not to know when I do know. I dislike that.”

“Did you collect evidence?”

“That’s right. I’m not quite a hero who pursues justice, but at least I have standards for judging right and wrong. And by those standards, Jeonghwa Guild has gone far beyond the line. It has been that way for quite some time.”

Lee Ye-rin turned the laptop beside her around and played several videos in succession.

They were videos showing Jeonghwa Guild’s dirty criminal acts, such as human trafficking, drug sales, and sexual assault.

Among them was also a video of the above transactions taking place with Kashimar Guild on North Korean soil.

Judging by the camera angle and position, it was footage that absolutely could not have been filmed unless it was by an insider.

That was enough to measure Lee Ye-rin’s intelligence network. She must have planted her eyes in various places.

“What I hate more than pure evil is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy gives believers wounds that can never be erased for the rest of their lives.”

“…….”

“At first, I couldn’t believe it, but now I’m certain. Jang Si-hwan is a hypocrite. Everything about him was perfect acting. He was never once a good person. He was only pretending to be good.”

It was something Kang-hoo had truly wanted to say.

However, even though he had not told her, she had already accurately seen through Jang Si-hwan’s true nature.

It was not even a guess.

It was the naked face of Jeonghwa Guild that she had personally come to know while collecting information through various channels.

“I bitterly regret the past, when I once believed he was the hope of our Republic of Korea and sent him many promising hunter prospects. The fact that those prospects all died after getting involved in incidents and accidents was surely no coincidence.”

“That was not your fault, Ye-rin. If there is someone at fault, it is the one who made you believe that.”

“……Even if only for the sake of those sacrificed hunters, I will no longer just watch. Kang-hoo.”

“Yes?”

“I’m not trying to say that we should share the same purpose. But please don’t stand on Jang Si-hwan’s side. May I…… ask you that?”

It was the thing he wanted to say in reverse.

He had sometimes thought about whether Lee Ye-rin might somehow be won over by Jang Si-hwan in another way.

But that had been needless worry.

Rather, she had continued preparing to oppose Jang Si-hwan. And now that her preparations were complete, she was finally bringing it up.

“I don’t usually make promises without a price, but I’ll promise that. I will not be in the same boat as Jeonghwa Guild. If, from anyone’s perspective, it looks like I’m about to be in the same boat…….”

“If it looks like that?”

“Think of it as a disguise meant to make it look that way from anyone’s perspective. Just as Jang Si-hwan was ‘hypocrisy.’”

“Ah.”

Lee Ye-rin could understand without him needing to say anything more.

That Kang-hoo had also long since been aware of Jang Si-hwan’s true nature.

He had merely held back his words. And that was right. It was not an emotion or plan to be lightly blurted out.

Kang-hoo said,

“If you need a connecting link, tell me anytime. My reach is wider than you might think.”

“I’ll do that. Thank you.”

Coincidentally, Kang-hoo himself had connecting links to everyone.

The Glory Alliance was connected to Kang Bok-hwa, Myeongga Guild to Park Dong-jae, and The Abyss to Lee Hyun-seok through personal connections.

And Lee Ye-rin of the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps was right in front of him now, having this sincere conversation with him.

He had not designed everything from the beginning, but as a result, he had become the key to the anti-Jeonghwa alliance.

A gigantic rival force that would stand against Jeonghwa Guild was plausibly taking shape.