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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The department heads, who had been waiting nearby, approached Ko Taehyun, who was now alone.
“…He actually went in alone? I acknowledge his skill, but that’s excessive greed.”
Bae Sung-min, the Monster Safety Management Department Head, looked more pleased than concerned. It was a natural reaction. The department heads, who had remained passive until Lee Seong-joon entered, had a reason for suddenly approaching Ko Taehyun.
This is our chance.
They couldn’t openly oppose Ko Taehyun, so despite the bribes from the guilds, they had to relinquish the raiding rights. They now faced the unpleasant task of returning the money. But Lee Seong-joon’s excessive greed had presented them with another opportunity.
“Tsk, it’s a shame, but there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle.”
“Indeed. We have our own work to do. Let’s decide on the next raiding order.”
Despite their open greed, Ko Taehyun, unlike before, didn’t show any anger. He merely scoffed.
“Do you really think Hunter Lee Seong-joon will fail the raid?”
“If it were a Raid Gate, we might have some hope, but that’s a Treasure Gate he entered.”
“While I can’t guarantee 100% failure, the probability of success is extremely low.”
At their confident replies, Ko Taehyun asked, “Do all the department heads here agree with the Monster Management Department Head?”
They avoided direct answers due to the previous incident, but their intentions were clear. They had been waiting to approach him after Lee Seong-joon entered. If they had expected Lee Seong-joon to succeed, they wouldn’t have approached him.
“I’m not here to interrogate you. I just want to make a bet.”
“…A bet?”
“If Hunter Lee Seong-joon fails the Treasure Gate raid, I’ll take full responsibility and resign as Vice President. But if he succeeds, you all resign. How about it?”
“What?”
“Exactly as you heard. We’re betting our positions.”
“Are you serious?”
“Have I ever joked with you?”
Seeing Ko Taehyun’s stern expression, the department heads narrowed their eyes.
A bet…? What is he thinking?
While Raid Gates and Treasure Gates shared the same ranking system – Green, Blue, Yellow, Red, Black – their internal structures were vastly different. Unlike Raid Gates, where elite monsters were concentrated, Treasure Gates had significantly fewer elite monsters.
Yet, they emitted the same amount of magical power. This meant that Treasure Gates were teeming with a massive number of monsters.
‘It’s a literal wave of monsters.’
Unlike Raid Gates, where one only had to deal with certain elite monsters, in Treasure Gates, you faced legions of monsters.
‘It’s the worst possible matchup for a martial artist.’
Renowned martial artists excelled in one-on-one combat but were generally weaker against large numbers.
‘Hunter Lee Seong-joon is no different.’
Indeed, his achievements had been limited to individual or small-scale combat. Vice President Ko Taehyun, who was well-versed in the Association’s affairs, couldn’t be unaware of this, yet he was proposing a bet.
‘…Vice President Ko Taehyun, what are you so confident about?’
They couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. No, there couldn’t be anything.
‘I’ve never heard of a martial artist who was strong against hordes.’
As they continued to think, smiles spread across the department heads’ faces.
‘He’s suddenly become arrogant. Is Ko Taehyun getting senile?’
Seeing their smug smiles, Ko Taehyun spoke again, “Since you all seem to understand, let me ask formally. Do you accept my bet?”
There was no reason to refuse. It was a golden opportunity, one that wouldn’t come again. With the President absent, the Vice President position couldn’t remain vacant.
They would have to elect a new Vice President. Naturally, one of the current department heads was likely to be promoted. Greed flickered in the department heads’ eyes.
‘I! I can become the next Vice President!’
Becoming the Association’s power broker meant gaining immense power and wealth. Bae Sung-min and the other department heads, who had been mentally calculating, nodded.
“…We accept your bet, Vice President.”
“I accept as well.”
“Just so you know, you can’t go back on your word later.”
Ko Taehyun inwardly chuckled as the department heads readily accepted the bet, unaware of their impending doom.
‘They took the bait.’
To be precise, they had no choice but to take the bait. On the surface, it seemed like a sure-loss bet. But Ko Taehyun, having observed Lee Seong-joon for three months, was certain.
‘This is a perfect opportunity to remove the rotten parts of the Association, these department heads.’
He was certain that Hunter Lee Seong-joon wasn’t someone who would be blinded by greed and act rashly. Even when they were planning the Jo Se-hyuk arrest operation with the Blue House, he had initially thought it was impossible, but Hunter Lee Seong-joon had proven him wrong with the results.
‘If he couldn’t solo this Treasure Gate, he wouldn’t have made such a confident request.’
It was an act born of self-confidence and conviction. In fact, the presence he had just witnessed from Hunter Lee Seong-joon was comparable to that of SS+-rank hunters.
‘There’s no way these department heads, who only know of Hunter Lee Seong-joon through hearsay, would be aware of this.’
Suppressing his laughter, Ko Taehyun drove the final nail into the coffin.
“We seem to share the same concerns, so how about we draw up a contract right now?”
“Good! Let’s do that!”
Seeing Bae Sung-min’s immediate agreement and the other department heads eagerly following him, Ko Taehyun finally let loose a bright smile.
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In the center of a desolate, barren plain, devoid of even a single blade of grass, Lee Seong-joon stood alone, slowly turning his head.
‘This is… the inside of the Treasure Gate.’
The scenery itself wasn’t special. But the silence of the open plain gave off an ominous feeling, like standing in the eye of a storm. And it wasn’t just a feeling.
Rumble—!
A deafening roar echoed in his ears, and a fierce sandstorm began to rise at the edge of his vision. It wasn’t a natural phenomenon. A horde of monsters, including orcs, goblins, trolls, and magical beasts, were charging towards him.
‘…Is this the legendary monster wave?’
Having researched Treasure Gates in advance, Lee Seong-joon’s expression remained unchanged. He calmly prepared for battle.
‘I’m in peak condition… and the battlefield is excellent.’
A wide-open plain, perfect for focusing solely on combat, with no obstructive terrain.
Ding—!
Status window information
> Using Star’s Favor, Earth’s Blessing, Wind’s Protection, Strength Enhancement, Stamina Enhancement, and Agility Enhancement on user ‘Lee Seong-joon’.
> Due to the effect of the Amplification skill, the effects of enhancement skills are increased by 50%.
> Physical durability significantly increased due to the buff skill Earth’s Blessing.
> Agility stat increased by 45.
> Strength and Stamina stats increased by 37 each.
“I can finally let loose after a long time.”
Smiling, Lee Seong-joon kicked off the ground and charged towards the monster wave, which was about a kilometer away.
Whoosh—!
The distance between Lee Seong-joon and the monster wave closed rapidly.
Kieeek—!
Graaagh—!
The monstrous roars of the sheer number of monsters made the ground tremble. But Lee Seong-joon didn’t stop. He increased his speed, closing the distance. The reason was simple.
‘My body is nearing the level of Indestructibility.’
Of course, he hadn’t actually reached the level of true indestructibility. The sharp sword energy of a peak-level martial artist could still pierce him. In other words, martial artists below the peak level couldn’t even scratch him. There was no need to block or dodge the attacks of the monsters before him.
“Graaaaaah!!”
Now only about 10 meters away. A thrill ran through Lee Seong-joon at the roar that struck his eardrums. The suppressed monster within him, the true nature of the Blood Demon, emerged.
“This will be fun.”
Muttering softly, he threw himself into the oncoming attacks. The monsters swung their sharp weapons, claws, and teeth. But it was all for naught.
Clang-! Clang-! *
With loud, grating sounds, the attacking monsters faltered.
In that instant, having reached close range, Lee Seong-joon unleashed his fists.
‘금강철괴외기공, 제2식, 금강파룡격 (Indestructible Iron Body External Qi Technique, Second Form, Diamond Dragon Strike).’
With a single blow, dozens of monsters blocking his path vanished without a trace.
But this was just the beginning.
Crash—! Crash—!
Every move of his fists and feet, creating deafening roars, claimed the lives of dozens of monsters. It was an overwhelming difference in power. Any being with reason would have retreated in fear. But the mindless monsters of the Treasure Gate continued to charge.
‘…This fight will never end like this.’
It felt as if the monsters were being continuously summoned from somewhere. He had already killed hundreds, but there was no end in sight. No, the accumulating corpses were blocking his path, making it difficult to advance.
‘I need to clear them out all at once.’
The moment Lee Seong-joon narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath, the energy he had been storing within his body surged, and a seductive red light, containing the power of the Asura, spread out in all directions.
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