—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Lee Ye-rin of the Bulsae Guild had definitively proven her shrewdness. With the only obstacle removed, Lee Seong-joon proceeded with the contract.
That didn’t mean her favor and attention ceased. In fact, it intensified. Less than a month after the contract was signed, she resolved the pressing issue of his housing situation.
A penthouse in a luxury apartment building in the heart of Mapo District. It was a high-value property worth 50 billion won, with an extremely high asking price, but the real problem wasn’t the price.
Safe residential areas in central Seoul, like Mapo, Dongjak, Seongdong, and Jung-gu districts, were considered prime assets, and the real estate market was experiencing a boom. Property values were constantly increasing, so acquiring such properties was nearly impossible.
Yet, Lee Ye-rin had secured this valuable property and gifted it to Lee Seong-joon. She even took care of the taxes and all the details related to the move. Thanks to her efficiency, the move proceeded smoothly, even though none of his family members were working.
“Wow, this is the living room? Isn’t this a sports field? Oh my god! I can see the Han River from the window!”
Lee Seo-yun couldn’t contain her excitement and amazement at the spacious living room, easily spanning several dozen pyeong. It wasn’t just her.
Lee Su-hyeok and Kim Ji-young also couldn’t hide their smiles. Having already heard about Lee Seong-joon through the media, they weren’t as worried as they had been during the first move.
Of course, simply hearing about it through broadcasts or online articles wasn’t enough to fully grasp the situation.
‘Seeing is different from experiencing.’
Moreover, his family had lived with him for over 20 years. No matter what the media said, it wouldn’t truly sink in. But Lee Ye-rin herself had kindly explained everything to his parents, which helped them accept it more easily.
“This is a wonderful home.”
“I don’t know if we should accept such a gift for free… Haha…”
Lee Su-hyeok chuckled and looked at Lee Ye-rin, who was smiling proudly.
“Please don’t feel burdened. This is a token of my gratitude for the immense help I’ve received from Hunter Lee Seong-joon.”
“Help from Sung-jun?”
“Yes, Hunter Lee Seong-joon is even more remarkable than you think. He’s a future SSS-rank Hunter, considered the future of Korea, and a talent coveted by the world’s leading guilds.”
“Ahem, my son is indeed quite capable.”
Perhaps because bragging about one’s children is the ultimate form of parental pride, Lee Su-hyeok smiled contentedly.
Seeing that, Lee Ye-rin smiled and continued in a calm voice, “Hunter Lee Seong-joon chose our Bulsae Guild despite receiving much better offers. Thanks to him, Bulsae has been given wings to soar. He’s helped us tremendously.”
Her words were a bit misleading, as it was Lee Seong-joon who chose Bulsae, but she had already charmed Lee Su-hyeok with her earlier words. The truth wasn’t important.
“Of course, if it were just a token of gratitude, I wouldn’t have given you such a lavish gift. As I said before, this is a token of my gratitude as the master of the Bulsae Guild, but also a gesture of goodwill from Lee Ye-rin, the person, towards Hunter Lee Seong-joon. So please, accept my gift without any reservations.”
“Haha…! If you insist…”
“We gratefully accept.”
At Lee Su-hyeok and Kim Ji-young’s cheerful replies, the atmosphere warmed up, and Lee Ye-rin naturally began showing them around the house.
“This is the storage room, and if you press this button…”
As if she had practiced beforehand, she explained every detail of the penthouse’s features and amenities, and the apartment’s facilities. The explanation was quite lengthy, and it was already 7 PM, dinner time.
“I’ve made a reservation at a nice restaurant nearby. Would that be alright?”
“We’d love to, but will you be alright, Hunter Lee Ye-rin?”
“Hunter? We’ve known each other for a while now. Please, just call me Ye-rin.”
Normally, she would have politely declined out of courtesy, but perhaps due to Lee Ye-rin’s demeanor, Kim Ji-young nodded without hesitation.
“Are you sure you have time, Ye-rin?”
“Yes, I cleared my schedule for today.”
“Then let’s eat together.”
“You must be hungry after moving, so I’ll take you to the restaurant right away.”
With Lee Ye-rin leading the way, the family left the apartment. Although it was an impromptu dinner with Lee Ye-rin, Lee Seong-joon had no complaints. He was just surprised.
‘Lee Ye-rin… she’s more impressive than I thought.’
He chuckled inwardly, recalling her skillful handling of the situation.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Qingdao, China.
A woman sitting on a large golden throne frowned as she listened to the report of a man dressed in a dark robe.
“So, you’re saying Lee Seong-joon signed a contract with some guild called Bulsae?”
At her dismissive scoff, the man hurriedly knelt and begged for forgiveness.
“I-I apologize!”
His body trembled like a leaf. It wasn’t just him. The people lined up on either side of the golden throne also swallowed nervously. The woman on the throne, Kang Yi-ryung, was an SSS-rank hunter, the master of the Sosumun Clan, and known as the ‘Great Rakshasa.’ That title wasn’t given without reason.
Kang Yi-ryung was known for her ruthlessness, showing no mercy to anyone, regardless of age or gender, who displeased her. If she were simply cruel, she would have been called a murderer or butcher, not the Great Rakshasa. But she also possessed insatiable greed. And she hadn’t gotten what she wanted.
To be precise, she hadn’t even been able to approach him due to his repeated rejections. Knowing her personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if she flew into a rage. Since all the people here were Sosumun executives, she probably wouldn’t kill them, but their limbs wouldn’t be safe.
They might lose an arm or a leg.
As the pale-faced executives anxiously tried to gauge her mood…
“Haha! Hahaha!”
Kang Yi-ryung burst into laughter, her eyes narrowed. A wide grin spread across her face.
“Interesting, interesting. It’s more fun when they play hard to get.”
Lee Seong-joon was certainly worthy.
“His grappling was absolutely perfect.”
It wasn’t an exaggeration. His grappling had effortlessly neutralized the attack of the S+-rank assassin Yang Joon-hyuk. Even she couldn’t execute such flawless grappling.
“And the external martial arts he used after that was just…”
A thrill she hadn’t felt in a long time coursed through her.
“…exquisite.”
The power itself was impressive, but that wasn’t what captivated her.
‘The distribution of power, the utilization of muscles, the method of execution… Lee Seong-joon perfectly understood his martial arts.’
He was a true martial artist, not some insect relying on the system’s power.
“The Korean Hunter Association and the government are certainly right to cherish and protect him.”
Deep down, she knew it wasn’t solely the Korean Hunter Association’s decision to reject her. Lee Seong-joon himself must have been involved.
Everyone in Sosumun knew this, but no one dared to voice it. What mattered to them wasn’t who rejected them or how, but that Kang Yi-ryung was smiling instead of exploding in rage.
“You speak the truth, Master. A treasure too easily obtained loses its value.”
Kang Yi-ryung’s grin widened at her subordinate’s flattery.
“Indeed. It’s been a while since I’ve had such an entertaining pastime.”
Fortunately, the matter of Lee Seong-joon’s rejection seemed to be resolved without incident. The Sosumun executives inwardly sighed in relief. But Xiao Zhan, Sosumun’s strategist, continued to frown.
‘These executive fools are so stupid…’
They shouldn’t be celebrating just because they had escaped immediate danger. Whenever Master Kang Yi-ryung mentioned ‘pastime,’ trouble followed.
She’s crippled dozens of hunters from other countries just for ‘pastime.’
Since they were lower-ranked hunters, they had been able to settle with hefty compensation and avoid being labeled villains. But Lee Seong-joon, Kang Yi-ryung’s current target, was different. He was a hunter in the global spotlight, with the potential to reach SSS-rank. He wasn’t someone they could appease with money.
He desperately hoped that Kang Yi-ryung would control her emotions and make a rational decision.
But unfortunately, a near-maniacal grin was spreading across her face. It was unlikely she would be rational.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
