Chapter 29

Although there were minor(?) incidents, the post-processing was carried out in an instant.

The Association Hunters realized that Suho was not the demon, and he guided them to the factory.

"… Where are all the demons?"

When they arrived at the factory, there were only traces of battle, but no demons were visible.

When the hunters' curious eyes focused on him, Suho made an awkward expression.

"Haha. I know, right. Did everyone run away?"

[Oops.]

Beside him, Beru was openly burping, but no one suspected anything.

They just thought the pet was the size of a stuffed toy.

"Hmm. It seems like they noticed us coming, so they all got away."

"Well, we came too soon. We just heard the report and went to the scene right away."

[Oops.]

Beru was grinding his teeth beside him, but no one particularly doubted him.

His stomach was protruding, but they thought it must have been his usual flat-bellied stomach.

"Still, I'm glad we secured the site."

In fact, that alone was a great pleasure.

They found a factory that manufactured stardust.

Above all, it has even revealed the shocking fact that people's lives are sacrificed in the manufacturing process.

"Thank you."

The association hunters who came out of the field gathered all the hunters, including Suho and Assistant Lim, and thanked them.

"Thanks to your tip, many future crimes can be prevented. From now on, our association and police hunters will do their best to investigate."

He added one thing.

"And, you will be paid a reward for this work."

As usual, there was a small reward for those who reported crimes.

'Good. I'm going to use this money to buy meat for the two.'

Suho nodded, remembering the ones left behind in the Shadow Dungeon.

Whether they were the last descendants of the canine clan or the only surviving demon nobles, they were just hungry refugees to Suho.

* * *

… When he opened his eyes, it was an unfamiliar ceiling.

"Uhh."

"Team Leader, are you feeling better?"

Han Jaehyuk got up from the bed with a heavy feeling.

White walls and the smell of disinfectant.

It was a hospital.

He looked at his subordinate with a confused expression.

"Why am I here?"

"Don't you remember? You fainted."

"Faint?"

"Yes. One punch."

"Ahh."

Then there was a memory that passed through his mind.

'That crow mask!'

He hurriedly got up from his seat and shouted.

"That demon! What happened to the demon?!"

"He's not a demon."

"What? H-He's not?"

"Yes. The hunter we went looking for was him."

"…?"

Seeing the confused team leader, the subordinate sighed and said, "It was all our misunderstanding."

The subordinate told him everything that happened when he passed out.

Han Jaehyuk's expression hardened.

"… What? What did you just say?"

"I just said it, clearly."

"A summoning hunter? Who the heck would be a summoning hunter?"

"Who else? Of course, the hunter who knocked you out with one punch."

"What?"

He realized he didn't hear it wrong.

An expression of absurdity appeared on Team Leader Han Jaehyuk's face.

"I was beaten by a summoning hunter and passed out? But, I am Han Jaehyuk."

"Yes. So from now on, please don't let your guard down and use your quick-witted skills first."

"I-I did though."

"You did?"

"I used a skill!"

The subordinate was even more surprised.

"Why did you pass out? You're a C-Class tanker."

"That's what I'm saying!"

"Then, you passed out in one hit even after using your real skills? Does that make sense? Was he really an E-Class hunter?"

"E-Class? Are you kidding me right now?"

He glared at his subordinate with a grim expression.

However, the subordinate only shrugged his shoulders calmly.

"Why would I joke around? I also checked the hunter's ID, and he was really E-Class. What was his name again? Sung Suho?"

"Sung Suho?"

When he heard the name, there was a face that flashed through Han Jaehyuk's head.

Coincidentally, the name of the rookie E-Class hunter whom he had personally measured his mana power back then was Sung Suho.

'There's no way that would happen.'

"Right. That person."

"…!"

"It's not that I'm reading your mind but I was also with you at the time. Sung Suho, the E-Class hero of the Korea University dungeon, whose mana we measured directly, is the one who knocked you out."

"R-Really? Wasn't he a college student? How?"

Han Jaehyuk couldn't believe it.

However, the subordinate responded indifferently.

"There must have been a measurement error. He punched you who even used skills with his bare fists. How could such a hunter be only an E-Class? I expect that at least he's a C-Class."

"Even so… How could he just…"

"Anyway, I apologize on his behalf. I told him to visit the association again and get a re-measurement. That's the end of the briefing."

"…"

"Then I'll get off work."

"…"

Prestige, once lost, never returns.

Team Leader Han Jaehyuk, who left all the work and just slept, muttered dejectedly as he looked at the back of his subordinate's head as he left.

"Things these days…"

He suddenly remembered the moment he fainted.

'E-Class was a measurement error?'

Well, it was fine.

It was a rare accident, but it happened occasionally.

But, one question still remained.

'He must have been a summoning hunter, but…'

Seeing that there was an enormous beast that looked like a hyena right next to him, it was certain that he's a summoning hunter.

But how?

'How did he have such superpowers? Could that power be some kind of transformation of the summoning skill?'

Hmm.

He stroked his chin and thought of Sung Suho's appearance that he had seen at the hospital.

An ordinary college student who looks quite decent.

He was tall and had a moderately muscular body.

But that was it.

Looking at the outside, he didn't look like a hunter with absolute strength.

'… Well, I'll find out someday.'

More than that, there's something he's thinking of.

The words he left on the day Sung Suho's mana was measured.

– Then, Mr. Sung Suho, I look forward to a good performance in the future.

Just like that time, a warm smile appeared on team leader Han Jaehyuk's lips.

"… I'll really look forward to it."

He was looking forward to seeing what kind of hunter Suho would become in the future.

* * *

Reaper Guild.

Vice President Lee Minsung was angry to the core.

"What?! Why did the factory that was running fine suddenly disappear!"

"T-That… With the information from the hunters, the association…"

Fuck!

"Ack!"

Lee Minsung kicked the stomach of the man in front of him.

He screamed loudly as he got trampled on and flown into the wall.

"So what? What association? What do these bastards know me as? If they took the money, they should have brought the goods properly no matter what!"

"Oh, Mr. Vice President! We're really victims, too! The demons in the factory disappeared without a trace."

The actions of the A-Class hunter, who was angry to the top of his head, was too terrible to be called a simple vent.

If it wasn't for hunter capabilities, even the man being trampled by those feet would have died in an instant.

After venting his anger like that, the man finally passed out. Minsung slapped him on the cheek to wake him up and grabbed him by the collar.

"Ha. So what happened to all the demons?"

"Ack. T-That…"

The man hurriedly spilled out everything he knew.

Lee Minsung squinted his eyes after hearing all the information.

"The location of the factory was discovered by hunters passing by by chance?"

"Yes. It is said that they fought the demons and rescued the civilians there."

"Do you think that makes sense?"

"I-I…"

"What?!"

He grabbed the man by the collar.

"It's not a large guild, and 10 demons were killed by raiders led by a C-Class? Only the captain is C-Class, the other nine are D-Class, and fucking E-Class collectors?"

"I a-also…"

"Also what?!"

"I also don't think it makes sense!"

The man closed his eyes and shouted.

Only then did Lee Minsung let go of the man's collar.

"Then what do you think? This time, you have to come up with some more useful suggestions. If you want to live."

"… I think it must have been a prank on the part of the association."

"Hmm?"

"As you know, the guys from the association have been chasing the source of the stardust. But this time, somehow, they found out the location of the factory."

"So?"

"If they openly investigate stardust that is not yet illegal, they will have to check guilds that handle stardust like us. Then… "

"We put the clumsy ones up front and move as they report to us?"

"Yes! That's it!"

"Okay. That makes some sense."

Minsung nodded his head in agreement.

"I've seen those demons myself. They were absolutely impossible to deal with for low-level hunters."

"That's right."

"So?"

"What?"

"That must be a great solution, right?"

Again, a terrible murderous spirit emanated from Lee Minsung as he strangled the man.

"Of course! There is not just one factory. The Seoul Station field was only convenient for delivery because of the subway line, but if you look for it, demons will hide here and there and set up star powder factories."

"Here and there? Why are there so many demons?"

Only then was Lee Minsung giggling as if satisfied.

However, the eyes looking at the man were not smiling at all.

"I'll say it again, you know that the only reason I took you guys was because of the stardust, right?"

"Yes, of course… We are also always grateful to you, Vice President."

"Then, do your thing. Shouldn't you repay the favor?"

"Grrr!"

As he answered, hair gradually grew on the man's face and transformed into a werewolf.

The man's identity was none other than the remnants of the Hyena Guild that was being chased by the Association.

But now he had nowhere to go, so he became the faithful follower of Vice President Lee Minsung.

However, it was only his appearance. The inside was different.

'Damn, that's a big problem. In a few days, the power of blood will completely disappear.'

The ability of the hyena guild members to turn into werewolves by drinking the blood of the canine clan lasted only ten days.

If they don't drink blood regularly every 10 days, they would go back to being an ordinary normal person, let alone the beast transformation skill.

It was clear that if Vice President Lee Minsung found out about this, he would ruthlessly throw them out.

'Before that, I have to do something. Either find the lost wolf cub in Gwanaksan, or… find traces of other monarchs similar to him.'

Two options.

* * *

Meanwhile, Suho went to the butcher shop with the reward money he received.

"Yes, please come in~"

The butcher, who was preparing the meat, talked to Suho with a friendly tone then smiled.

"What kind of meat would you like?"

"One pig… Do you sell them whole?"

"…?!"

"Ah, no. I need two."

"…!"