Chapter 174

Afterwards, the Knights Guild handed over the raid licenses for three mid-level dungeons in the Yeongnam region, including Busan to Woojin Guild in exchange for 1 billion won. The fact that they gave them up for so cheap showed how grateful they were to Suho for his help. Moreover, the Knights Guild even offered an unprompted favor.

"I noticed that Woojin Guild doesn't have a healer yet. While you're active in Busan, we'll provide you with one of our most skilled ones."

"A healer? No, there's no need to go that far..." Lim Dogyoon, buried in the contracts Suho had handed over, initially tried to decline President Park Jongsu's offer. However, Lim Tae-Gyu, who was helping with the contract process, readily accepted the proposal.

"Is that skilled healer you mentioned, perhaps Hunter Lee Joohee?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Oh." Lim Tae-Gyu looked quite surprised. Then, he whispered in Lim Dogyoon's ear.

"Definitely accept. Hunter Lee Joohee will be a great help. In many ways."

"Huh? In many ways...?" Lim Dogyoon was puzzled.

Lim Tae-Gyu, without even waiting for his son's reply, stepped forward and grabbed President Park Jongsu's hand with a grin.

"Thank you for your consideration. As expected of the Knights Guild's reputation, you even take care of such minute details."

"Oh, no, it's nothing. Hunter Lee Joohee volunteered herself."

"Ah… As expected of Her."

"...?" Lim Dogyoon was still confused, unable to grasp the situation.

'Anyway, it means the Knights Guild is giving us a discount on the dungeon and providing a healer, right?' 

It was proof of how valuable Haeundae, which Suho had saved, was to Busan. And so, Woojin Guild, led by Suho, officially began its activities. However, not all hunters were as welcoming as the Knights Guild…

"Hey, did you hear? The Knights Guild handed over three mid-level dungeons to Woojin Guild? And at a bargain price too."

"Seriously? Then why did they compete so fiercely with us in the bidding?"

"No matter how much they contributed in Haeundae, this is unacceptable!"

"If they were short on manpower from the start, they shouldn't have claimed the dungeons. Or at least they should have given our guild a chance first."

"If the Knights Guild had done their job properly in Haeundae in the first place, there wouldn't have been any need to bring in mercenaries from outside, right?"

"As expected, large guilds are all about size, not substance."

Complaints began to erupt from the small and medium-sized guilds in Busan that had been overshadowed by the Knights, the largest guild in the region. It was a kind of territorial dispute. But their complaints weren't entirely baseless. 

The Haeundae incident that the Woojin Guild resolved. Countless people had witnessed this serious situation firsthand, but hunters from other guilds were busy raiding other dungeons at the time. So most of them only learned about the incident later through the news. A disaster seen through a screen couldn't have the same impact as one witnessed in person. And now, with news of even the mayor of Busan personally presenting a plaque of appreciation, they couldn't contain their anger.

"Seriously, what the hell is Woojin Guild that they're causing such a fuss?"

"They're a new guild with only three members, right?"

"Geez. The guild master is a C-rank hunter, and the vice guild master is an E-rank? That's ridiculous."

"So what did they actually do?"

"That foreigner named Esil found the Gate's location at the end of the video?"

"They say Sung Suho defeated the boss monster, but the video doesn't show how he did it"

...The fact that the main battle took place inside the instance dungeon created by Harman fueled their dissatisfaction. And as a result…

"Hold on." There were people blocking the way of Woojin Guild, who had rightfully purchased a mid-level dungeon and arrived at the Gate to raid it.

"Hmm?" Suho looked at them with a puzzled expression. They were unfamiliar faces.

"Guild Master." Lim Dogyoon quickly whispered in Suho's ear.

"They're famous hunters in Busan. Their names are..."

"What's the matter?" Suho asked them while listening to Lim Dogyoon's explanation. Then, the massive hunter in the middle of the group stepped forward with a hostile expression, baring his teeth.

"Hey..."

"Just a moment! Hunter Noh Joongi, you can't do this here! This dungeon belongs to Woojin Guild!" The Hunter Association staff from the Busan branch, who were managing the Gate, were flustered and blocked the hunters who had suddenly intruded. Then, the massive hunter, Noh Joongi, glared at the Association staff who were stopping him.

"I know. Do you think I can't read?" His gaze briefly flicked towards a nearby sign.

[Gwangalli Gate]

[Entry prohibited except for Woojin Guild]

Gritting his teeth, he glared at the Association staff again with a hostile aura.

"Is this allowed by the Association?"

"Excuse me? What do you mean...?"

"I'm asking if it's okay for the Association to break its own rules." Noh Joongi scanned each member of Woojin Guild one by one. Guild Master Sung Suho, Lim Dogyoon, and Esil.

"Hah. This is ridiculous. Just three people? Since when was it acceptable to raid a mid-level dungeon with such a small number of people?"

"That's right. The minimum number of raiders is at least 10, isn't it?"

"This is a clear violation." The other hunters Noh Joongi brought along also chimed in, raising their voices as if they had been waiting for this moment.

'They came prepared.' Suho chuckled at the sight. 

Hunters' protests were on a different level compared to those of ordinary people. With Noh Joongi at the forefront, they channeled their mana, expressing their discontent, causing the surrounding air to tremble ominously.

"P-please calm down for a moment..."

The problem was that the Association staff who had to endure this energy were non-awakened office workers. They were struggling to even breathe under the pressure emanating from Noh Joongi and the other hunters. It was then…

"S-sorry...! I'm a bit late...!" The B-rank healer Lee Joohee, sent by the Knights Guild, arrived at the scene.

"...Huh?" The heavy air instantly lightened, and the hunters' energy disappeared as if by magic.

"H-Hunter Lee Joohee?"

"Ms. Lee Joohee, what brings you here?" They recognized her and their eyes widened in surprise.

"Ah! It's been a while. I'm so glad to see you all looking healthy." As Lee Joohee bowed in greeting, flustered, they waved their hands dismissively.

"Oh, Ms. Lee Joohee. What are you doing! We should be the ones greeting you!"

"Have you been well, Ms. Lee Joohee?"

"I heard you joined the Knights Guild. But what brings you here?"

"Ah, I heard Woojin Guild doesn't have a healer, so I came to provide support for a while."

"...!"

"Hmm?" Suho's eyes lit up. With Lee Joohee's sudden appearance, the situation began to take an unexpected turn.

"Guild Master Sung Suho, I apologize for being late." Lee Joohee approached Suho and apologized politely once again.

"No, it's alright. You're only a few minutes late."

"And actually, there's something else I'm sorry about. On my way here, I came across a traffic accident scene, so I used some of my mana to heal the emergency patients." Lee Joohee apologized sincerely once more.

It was a grave mistake for a healer to waste magic power before a dungeon raid. However, if the reason was to save emergency patients, no one who knew Lee Joohee's usual character could criticize her for it.

"Ah, you haven't changed."

"As expected of Ms. Lee Joohee..."

"Ahem."

Especially... The hunters in Busan who had once received free healing from her when they were newbies with no money or connections, remembered her very well. Lee Joohee, who had been active as a freelance healer until relatively recently, had been indiscriminately healing the injured since the beginning of her career. It was no wonder she was called the 'Saint of Busan.'

"Ahem."

"Keuheum." The hunters, who had come in full of anger, now hesitated in front of Lee Joohee with awkward expressions.

'Ah, so this is what he meant by being helpful in many ways.' Lim Dogyoon finally understood what Lim Tae-Gyu had said, seeing the atmosphere shift.

"...B-but still!" Noh Joongi closed his eyes tightly and spoke again.

"Illegal is illegal!" The other hunters, avoiding Lee Joohee's gaze, also raised their voices once more.

"The minimum number of raiders is a rule set by the Association!"

The limit on the number of people was a safety measure for hunters. It was a rule established by the Association to prevent hunters from recklessly entering dungeons and losing their lives.

"How can you sell such a dangerous dungeon to a small guild like this?!"

"Ah, you don't have to worry about that."

"...Hugh?"

Finally realizing the situation, Lee Joohee smiled brightly and quelled their complaints. "It's true that there's a minimum number of raiders, but when that rule was created, Chairman Woo Jinchul of the Association specifically included an exception."

"...What is it?"

Looking at the frowning hunters, Lee Joohee suddenly had a thought. Chairman Woo Jinchul. A remarkable figure who had always taken extraordinary steps since the Cataclysm. Could it be that his foresight had anticipated even a situation like this from the beginning?

"The number of summons is also included in the raid party count." As soon as Lee Joohee finished her explanation, Suho spoke up as if he had been waiting.

"Arise."

"...!" At that moment, shock filled the eyes of all the hunters.

Countless summons rose from the ground, centered around Suho. The powerful aura emanating from the Shadow Soldiers, their entire bodies rippling with jet-black smoke, exploded in all directions. Overwhelmed by their fierce presence, Noh Joongi, who was at the forefront, flinched and almost stumbled backward. But suddenly the small ant, Beru, poked his head in front of Noh Joongi's face and unleashed an incredibly ferocious aura.

[Kieeek!]

"Eep...!"

Thud! Noh Joongi fell on his butt.

"Well then." Suho turned away from them, dumbfounded and seated on the ground. He looked at the Gate in front of him, shimmering with an ominous blue aura, and gave a faint smile.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

It took Woojin Guild only three days to conquer all the mid-level dungeons they had acquired. Including the time spent mining.

"...This is unbelievable!" Their astonishing speed shocked Noh Joongi and all the other hunters in Busan.

* * *

And around that time. In the United States.

"Hmm. I should let Sung Suho know about this." Thomas Andre, the president of the Scavenger Guild and the strongest S-rank hunter in the United States, leisurely took out his phone.

"Thomas?"

"Oh. You picked up right away." 

Hearing Sung Suho's voice from the other end, Thomas Andre grinned and said: "You've become quite famous in Korea these days, haven't you? We're both busy, so let's get straight to the point."

A subtle light shimmered around Thomas Andre as he spoke on the phone.

"First of all, your mother said she found something in the Tomb of the Berserk Dragons and asked me to pass it on to you. Laura also got a high-grade magic stone, so I sent them together. They should arrive soon." Cha Hae-in, who had decided to stay longer in the Tomb of the Berserk Dragons, had arranged to send the items through the Scavenger Guild, which was working on Fasad Island.

"And also." Thomas Andre glanced at the corpse he was holding by the collar with his other hand, the one not holding the phone, and continued.

"I just killed an Apostle of Itarim."

"...!"

The ground where he was standing had a massive crater, as if a meteorite struck there. The corpse he was holding crumbled into pieces and scattered like ashes.

Swish.

And the ashes transformed into light particles and seeped into Thomas Andre's body.

"Who was it?"

"Just as we suspected." Absorbing the power, Thomas Andre looked at the face of the hunter he had killed.

"Christopher Reed."

He was a man who had been a national-level hunter in the United States in his past life.