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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Most of the reporters were speechless.
“Oh my god.”
“…Did Baekho really beat Nuri?”
Song Seung-jun was known as the “Crown Prince.” This title wasn’t given without reason. He consistently held the top spot among rookies, walking the so-called royal road of a hunter.
And this Song Seung-jun had been defeated by Baekho’s rookie, Lee Seong-joon, who had announced his participation just a few days prior.
‘Am I… dreaming?’
Some reporters, unable to accept reality, started pinching themselves. But the stinging pain was undeniable. This was real. Their eyes widened in disbelief.
“B-Baekho beat Nuri.”
“The day Song Seung-jun loses first place would actually come…”
Song Seung-jun losing his throne to Baekho’s Lee Seong-joon was a huge story in itself. But that wasn’t the only event in this raid gate. In the previous interview, Song Seung-jun mentioned a casualty. Which meant…
The reporters cautiously shifted their gazes towards the raid gate entrance.
-Woong!
The gate’s color shifted from red to gray, and the cracks sealed shut. They couldn’t voice their thoughts with Hwan-sung’s guild master, Kim Dong-hyun, standing right behind them. But the reality before their eyes spoke volumes.
-Gulp!
The reporters swallowed hard.
‘Hwan-sung’s rookie, Lee Dong-ju, is dead, and Song Seung-jun’s royal road has crumbled!’
A scoop! Not one, but two massive scoops worthy of the main page and front-page headlines. Their eyes gleaming, the reporters frantically typed on their smartphones, eager to relay the news to their respective companies.
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Emerging from the raid gate, enveloped in white light, Lee Seong-joon was inwardly taken aback.
‘There are even more than before.’
Hundreds of reporters surrounded the gate entrance. And not just more in number, but more aggressive.
“Unlike other guild rookies who prepared for months, you announced your participation just two days before the raid gate and still took first place. What’s your secret?”
“What kind of boss monster appeared, and how did you hunt it?”
“How do you feel about taking first place against all odds?”
“We don’t see Hunter Lee Dong-ju from the Hwan-sung Guild. What happened?”
As the winner of the raid gate, the reporters’ attention was explosive. The path was blocked by reporters, and questions and camera flashes bombarded him from all directions.
While this wasn’t a pleasant situation, the real problem wasn’t the reporters.
-Woong!
Kim Dong-hyun, the master of the Hwan-sung Guild, landed before him, his face grim.
“Hunter Lee Seong-joon, let’s have a little chat.”
His aura was like a venomous snake, radiating hostility. Even without any prior history, he was someone Lee Seong-joon would rather avoid.
But Kim Dong-hyun was the master of the Hwan-sung Guild, with whom he already had a less-than-favorable relationship. Lee Seong-joon immediately shook his head in refusal.
“I’m tired, so please direct your questions to other hunters.”
He made a plausible excuse and tried to move, but Kim Dong-hyun wasn’t letting him go. He stepped to the side, blocking Lee Seong-joon’s path.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Despite Lee Seong-joon’s sharp tone, Kim Dong-hyun didn’t budge.
“Our Hwan-sung rookie, Lee Dong-ju, died in the raid gate. As the guild master, I think I have the right to ask a few questions.”
He licked his lips and narrowed his eyes, like a predator eyeing its prey. He wasn’t going to ask simple questions. He was looking for an angle, a way to shift the blame for Lee Dong-ju’s death onto Lee Seong-joon.
‘He’s trying to be clever…’
But that wasn’t going to happen. Lee Seong-joon’s gaze turned cold.
“I clearly said no. This attitude… Does Hwan-sung take Baekho for a joke?”
Hunters ranked SS and above had a palpable presence. Kim Dong-hyun wasn’t the only guild master present; all five major guild masters were here. Which meant Baekho’s guild master, Oh Kyung-hyun, was also here.
A relaxed smile spread across Lee Seong-joon’s face.
“As the master of the Baekho Guild, I can’t overlook this.”
Oh Kyung-hyun appeared behind Lee Seong-joon, his face grim, and glared at Kim Dong-hyun.
“Kim Dong-hyun, I’ll ask you formally. Does Hwan-sung take Baekho for a joke?”
Oh Kyung-hyun’s voice was sharp and filled with confidence. This wasn’t empty bravado. He was an SS+ rank hunter, a rank higher than Kim Dong-hyun’s SS rank. There was a clear difference in power. If a fight broke out here, the outcome was obvious. Kim Dong-hyun frowned.
‘…Damn it!’
He’d already taken a hit from the incident with the Shadow Brothers. Now, his rookie, Lee Dong-ju, the future of his guild, had died in the raid gate.
Tomorrow, Hwan-sung’s stock price would plummet. They might even be expelled from the five major guilds. Which meant losing the succession battle within the Myung-hye Group.
That’s why he’d tried to deflect the blame onto Lee Seong-joon, creating a diversion to minimize the damage. The plan itself wasn’t bad.
But blinded by the fear of losing the succession battle, he’d become shortsighted and forgotten that Lee Seong-joon belonged to the Baekho Guild.
‘Such a foolish mistake.’
Fortunately, he hadn’t crossed the point of no return. It would bruise his ego and make him look bad, but he could still salvage the situation. Kim Dong-hyun bit his lip and bowed his head.
“…I formally apologize to the Baekho Guild. I lost control of my emotions upon hearing of my guild member’s death and acted out of line. I’ll question Hunter Lee Seong-joon officially after he’s had sufficient rest.”
With the formal apology, Oh Kyung-hyun withdrew his oppressive aura. But that didn’t mean he forgave Kim Dong-hyun. His face remained grim as he issued a stern warning.
“I’ll let it slide this time, but if you disrespect our Hunter Lee Seong-joon again, I won’t be so lenient. Keep that in mind.”
This wasn’t an empty threat. Oh Kyung-hyun wasn’t one to make empty threats. If this happened again, he would retaliate without hesitation.
“…Understood.”
After receiving Kim Dong-hyun’s confirmation, Oh Kyung-hyun turned around. The Baekho Guild hunters, who had been waiting, moved swiftly and efficiently.
-Tap. Tap.
They cleared a path through the reporters, forming a straight line. They turned to Oh Kyung-hyun and Lee Seong-joon and spoke.
“This way, sir.”
Lee Seong-joon nodded and walked towards the waiting vehicle.
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The unexpected outcome caused a media frenzy.
Breaking News
- Baekho Guild’s Rookie, Hunter Lee Seong-joon, Takes First Place in Raid Gate.
- Hunter Lee Seong-joon, The Reason He’s a Rising Star.
- Hwan-sung’s Master, Kim Dong-hyun, Bows His Head to Baekho.
- The Death of Rookie Hunter Lee Dong-ju, Accelerating Hwan-sung’s Downfall…?
- Super Rookie Lee Seong-joon Seizes the Throne from ‘Crown Prince’ Song Seung-jun!
- Baekho Guild’s Stock Price Soars After Hunter Lee Seong-joon’s 1st Place Victory.
- Baekho Defeats Nuri, the Undisputed Champion, in an Unexpected Upset!
Yoon Min-soo nodded as he read the flood of news articles on his desktop in his top-floor office at Nuri Guild headquarters.
“Certainly unexpected. I didn’t expect you to lose first place…”
His gaze shifted to Song Seung-jun, sitting on the sofa.
“Hunter Lee Seong-joon. Was he that skilled?”
Having already analyzed the situation, Song Seung-jun answered without hesitation.
“He was better than I expected.”
His sharp senses that detected the dark elves amidst the chaos, the strange ability to track Eliorus’s movements while cloaked in stealth, his versatile martial arts skills – all were top-notch among the returned and martial artists he’d seen.
“He’s talented enough to surpass Grim Reaper’s Jeong Yun-ho and take second place.”
Second, not first. It was a different ranking from the announced results. But Yoon Min-soo simply nodded. He was the one who advised Song Seung-jun to conceal half his strength.
However, he still had questions.
“How much of your power would you need to use to defeat Hunter Lee Seong-joon?”
“…”
Song Seung-jun frowned. He couldn’t give a definitive answer. If Lee Seong-joon’s displayed abilities were all he had, the answer would be simple.
‘70%.’
That would have been enough to secure victory. But Lee Seong-joon’s final attack, that overwhelming punch that felt like the sky was falling, was truly remarkable. It was on par with techniques used by S+ rank hunters.
“80%… or perhaps even 90%.”
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