Chapter 7
Though he absolutely couldn’t agree with the executives who pushed making heirs for Eunseong as the top priority, telling him to have children for the guild’s sake. It meant he had come to agree with the opinion that attempting re-awakening was an insane act.
From this moment on, everyone present tacitly agreed that they would oppose it even if Eunseong so much as mentioned the letter ‘r’ of re-awakening. Since this was the first time Eunseong had been so severely injured, they all hardened their faces and created a chilly atmosphere.
Three days had passed since Eunseong announced he was going to meet Baek Sangyeon and left the guild, and with no news, they wondered if he had perhaps succeeded in re-awakening. But then they heard from the Rift Control Agency, which they visited on business, that Baek Mujin had destroyed the underground mock rift laboratory. Yeon Seokchun instinctively realized that something had gone terribly wrong.
Until he confirmed Eunseong’s unharmed face at Baek Mujin’s house, Yeon Seokchun had even thought they were concealing Eunseong’s death. The items he had brought plenty of with the intention to wage war if they wouldn’t let him in were kept secret from Eunseong for now.
“First, let’s return to the guild and get proper treatment. I’ve already contacted Hunter Han Suhyeon.”
Yeon Seokchun said in a firm tone as he pocketed the mobile phone he had been looking at. At the name Han Suhyeon, the two people in the front seats whistled. Even after securing the busiest and most expensive healing-type hunter in District 1 with just one text message, Yeon Seokchun showed no sign of boasting. He only sent worried glances toward Eunseong.
“As expected, our Team Leader Yeon’s vast network and recruitment skills are reliable. Eunseong hyung doesn’t need to worry about anything.”
“Resources exist to be used at times like this. Don’t get distracted and keep your eyes on the road ahead.”
It was somewhat said with Eunseong in mind. That he should use the budget when necessary.
After all his family had left this world, Eunseong had lived obsessively avoiding spending the budget given to guild leaders and those of Yuseong’s bloodline. This was despite the fact that Yuseong Guild, with commissions pouring in daily from everywhere, would never lack money.
The byproducts from rifts came in various types, but whatever was brought out had to have its toxicity removed and undergo reprocessing before it could be used. Yuseong was among the first-generation hunters who had obtained the most patents for the technology needed for reprocessing.
Besides technology, Yuseong Guild also had the most crafting-type hunters with the skills needed for reprocessing. As a result, Yuseong Guild was actually criticized as being closer to a money-obsessed corporation than a hunter guild.
Since they were about to lose Baek Mujin due to such people’s “mistake,” the criticism was now exceeding the level of blame. They spoke without any guilt about how Yoo Eunseong was a being who survived by mistake.
Some people frequently claimed that Yuseong had deliberately killed Yoo Jaeseong. After all, losing a powerful lead hunter would increase dependence on items.
“How about leaving Korea for a while after treatment is finished? You could go study abroad. If flying is difficult, there’s also the option of securing an ability user capable of intercontinental travel.”
“I’m hungry, Team Leader Yeon. Mujin prepared food earlier but I came out without eating.”
Eunseong pretended not to hear the suggestion to flee overseas until Mujin disappeared.
“Good. Having an appetite is a good sign. I’ll have a meal prepared as well.”
“Eat with me and Hara too. You followed me out saying you were going to find hyung, so you came out in the middle of dinner.”
Joo Hyeonwoo raised his voice while looking at Eunseong through the rearview mirror.
After Eunseong became guild leader, Yuseong Guild split into factions in complete chaos. The organization that had seemed more solid than any other when his father was alive turned out to be rotten through and through. Places where a lot of money pooled could never be clean.
As a result, the guild leader position was practically just a facade. The people he could keep close enough to reveal his true feelings to could be counted on one hand.
“Yeah, let’s eat and go. Let’s all eat together today. Team Leader Yeon, and all the guild members in the car behind too—I’ll treat everyone.”
Eunseong ended up laughing as he imagined Team Leader Yeon’s face leading this small group to storm into Huiseon Guild to find him. It must have required tremendous courage.
“About Hunter Baek Mujin.”
Persistent Yeon Seokchun brought the topic back to where it had been.
“Strictly speaking, that family’s Hwanghwa has disappeared, so giving up succession would be the natural order. Is that ability, maintained even through dependence on others’ power, truly theirs? The practice of giving surnames based on inherited power in hunter society is also bizarre.”
“Exactly!”
Joo Hyeonwoo chimed in, saying it was all correct, calling it a rotten blood-based society.
“Team Leader Yeon.”
“Don’t listen to this as an old man’s interference… So what I want to say is.”
“I know. You’re telling me not to feel responsible.”
“And not to feel guilty either. That’s not a proper relationship. I know you two are really close friends.”
Team Leader Yeon’s gaze was infinitely warm. In front of that face that reminded him of his father, Eunseong couldn’t be more stubborn. Though he wasn’t yet old enough to receive filial care, Mujin’s words about him having high blood pressure were true.
“I understand.”
“Guild Leader.”
“…Really. I really understand.”
When trying to dodge situations with lies, his voice inevitably became smaller. Yeon Seokchun’s gaze was obvious. Just then, his mobile phone in his pocket started buzzing, so Eunseong used that excuse to escape from Yeon Seokchun’s gaze.
Mujin’s message was extremely brief.
[Mujin]: It’s raining.
Eunseong immediately sent a reply.
[Did you eat dinner?]
[Mujin]: Yeah.
[Take care of yourself.]
The read receipt appeared immediately for the last message he sent, but there was no reply. Eunseong started typing “Don’t skip meals just because you’re alone” but stopped. He felt that worrying about such trivial things about him didn’t suit his position.
It really started raining just as Mujin had said. Since Mujin was at the highest place in this city, perhaps he was the first to encounter the rain. He turned his gaze outside the car window to look in the direction of his house, but couldn’t see it due to the thick clouds.
The raindrops that had been lightly hitting the window gradually grew thicker, and the outside scenery began to blur. The red tail lights on the road spread hazily. A damp silence settled inside the car as well.
Everyone knew that no matter what words they used to persuade him, Eunseong wouldn’t change his mind.
Eunseong was also a proper adult and a guild leader. He knew that criticizing hunter society, saying all that stuff about bloodlines should be abandoned, was nothing more than an idealist’s fantasy.
If Eunseong’s re-awakening were truly possible, there would be few on this earth who would oppose it. Even Eunseong himself was blindly clinging to it, so enough said.
So everyone guessed.
That when another opportunity came, Eunseong would throw his body into it without hesitation.
* * *
The rift byproduct auction house was located in a giant dome built at the top of a neutral zone tower.
It was said to be modeled after the symbol of a past destroyed civilization, but Eunseong only thought the design was in bad taste. The fact that helicopters were the only way to enter also added to his dislike. After experiencing the plane crash, he had become unable to endure situations involving flying vehicles.
When moving from aerial residential districts to ground-level rift sites, he would risk danger to use elevators, but since even that wasn’t possible here, he chose to pour nerve stabilizers down his throat.
Since he wore the hat of guild leader, it was an unavoidable position he had to endure.
The dome’s security was as tight as its scale. They had to have their invitation codes verified from the helicopter before finally being allowed to land at the landing pad, and even when entering the building, they had to go through three identity verification procedures.
The name of the global organization that managed rift byproducts and void energy from around the world and distributed them through auctions was commonly called Nova. The official name was long and complex, but everyone just called it Nova. It was an organization founded by first-generation hunters regardless of nationality, and the current director general was decided every five years by votes from non-awakened individuals.
Since rift byproducts were directly linked to survival, Nova managed the auction house’s fairness strictly and rigorously.
“Please stand straight in front of the camera, and say kimchi-.”
The hunter at the entrance screening desk happened to be Korean. Recognizing the Yuseong Guild members, he put aside his fluent English and began responding in Korean, and Eunseong had to make an effort not to smile, conscious of his gaze. He had been smiling so much his cheeks cramped, trying not to look arrogant, because people would say things like how nice it must be to have lots of money, no responsibilities, and an easy life.
“Yuseong Guild, Yoo Eunseong-ssi. Invitation code NOVA-A15X-Ω17… Yes, confirmed.”
“Thank you.”
“But why are you so pale? Even if the major rift forecast is shocking…”
The man who had finished identity verification while looking at the monitor muttered while giving Eunseong a lingering look.
At words he couldn’t ignore, Eunseong’s eyes widened. The back of his head prickled as the anxiety symptoms he had suppressed with nerve stabilizers swelled up instantly.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
