âPeople are coming up here. Wasnât this area off-limits?â
âAre they civilians?â
There was quite a bit of distance, so the reporters couldnât see the faces of the people coming up the hill. Soon, they took their minds off from the new people. For them, the interview with Gwon Jae-hoon and other members of the Hahoetal Guild was the first priority. They didnât want to miss a single word from them. But that didnât mean everyone ignored the new ones. Some curious reporters still opened their eyes and looked at them.
One of them mumbled, âK-Kim Su-hyeun?â
âW-what? Who?â
âDid you just say Kim Su-hyeun?â
âWait. No wayâŠâ
The reportersâ eyes went to the four men who reached the front of the viaduct. As they came closer, the reporters could see their faces quite clearly. And, since they were reporters who usually covered awakeners, they were very familiar with the faces of famous awakeners.
<<Itâs really him! Kim Su-hyeun is here!>>
<<Whoâs that next to him? Lee Ju-ho?>>
<<Whoâs that foreigner next to him⊠Is he Thomas?>>
<<Oh! Choi Hak-joon! He became a S-Rank awakener following Su-hyeun. Heâs one of the youngest S-Rank awakeners ever.>>
The reportersâ eyes were open wide. They looked around, held their breath, and started to leave one by one. They were the reporters who were waiting for the interview with Gwon Jae-hoon. They averted their eyes. One of the reporters who was covering Gwon Jae-hoon from the closest was embarrassed. He also wanted to go and see Su-hyeun. But he couldnât just leave Gwon Jae-hoon.
<<Why the hell is he here?>> Gwon Jae-hoon was also surprised.
He knew Kim Su-hyeun had fought his guild members at Kim Dae-hoâs workshop before. But it wasnât that big of a conflict. And, after Su-hyeun had warned them, they hadnât visited Kim Dae-ho at all. But still, here he was. There must be a reason why.
<<Is he interested in the dungeon, too?>>
Gwon Jae-hoon thought that could be why. It was a very likely reason. Su-hyeun had already succeeded in the raid of one blue-colored dungeon before. So, it would be natural for Bak Yun-gyu to ask him for help. Gwon Jae-hoon frowned and gnashed his teeth unconsciously. At this point, everyone except idiots could know.
<<All the interest paid to me and my Hahoetal Guild moved on to that bastard.>>
âMr. Su-hyeun. Iâm from OBS Broadcasting! Can I ask you some questionsââ
âWhy did you come back to Korea right after the Ranking Wars?â
âWhatâs your opinion about the blue-colored dungeonsââ
âMr. Kim Su-hyeun!â
âPlease answer someââ
There were all kinds of questions. Su-hyeun reached his hand out, as if he was used to it, and passed through the reporters.
Hak-joon said with an embarrassed face, âWow. Itâs no joke.â
âItâll get worse soon,â said Su-hyeun.
âHow can you be so calm, Su-hyeun? Youâre not used to this, are you?â Hak-joon asked.
âWellâŠâ
Su-hyeun clouded his words awkwardly and walked toward Gwon Jae-hoon. Gwon Jae-hoon was glaring at Su-hyeun harshly.
Click, clickâ
When Su-hyeun and Gwon Jae-hoon faced each other, the reporters stopped the barrage of questions and took pictures. The meeting of the two was a good image for the front image. Su-hyeun kept his poker face under the bursting lights. Gwon Jae-hoon was the same since he was used to this kind of attention.
âIâm so glad to meet you.â Gwon Jae-hoon reached his hand out to Su-hyeun with a smile.
He knew how to act in public. There wasnât anything good about having an argument with Su-hyeun right at the moment.
âAre you really?â Su-hyeun asked, holding Gwon Jae-hoonâs hand back, âI thought we were in an ill-fated relationship.â
âAn ill-fated relationship?â
âWhatâs he talking about?â
âDo they know each other?â
The reporters whispered to each other in small voices. Gwon Jae-hoon frowned a little bit. He tried to manage his face, but he couldnât help but show his displeasure.
<<So, I guess he is trying to bring things out in public.>>
Bringing the reporters was a bad decision. What Su-hyeun knew would work against him. So far, he had been moving with the idea that the Authority wouldnât fight against the Association. But Su-hyeun had a different plan in mind.
An individual who had no one else to worry about was scarier than a group. In particular, if the individual were the strongest person in the world, there would be nothing more to say.
âI think there was some misunderstanding, and I apologize for my guild membersâ disrespect,â said Gwon Jae-hoon.
âIt was a misunderstanding?â Su-hyeun asked.
âYes. We were in a hurry to get equipment to attack these dungeons, but Kim Dae-ho seemed to have no intention of selling his. Attacking these dungeons is essential for the safety of the citizens, and that was why we needed his equipment.â Gwon Jae-hoon shook his head as if it a sad thing.
âWe wanted to pay as much as we can, but he asked too high a price. I think my guild members were upset because he didnât negotiate at all. And you were there just at that moment. Since you didnât know what had been happening, I understand you had no choice but to protect him.â
âKim Dae-ho? Whoâs Kim Dae-ho? Does anybody know who he is?â
âDid the Hahoetal Guild have trouble when they tried to get equipment for the dungeon raid?â
âIf thatâs the case, that man named Kim Dae-ho is so mean. He ripped off a guild trying to attack the dungeon.â
Public opinion began to turn against Kim Dae-ho. Gwon Jae-hoon grinned inside. Maybe he could still turn the situation to his favor. Kim Dae-ho would become a villain rather than himself or Su-hyeun.
âWhat are you talking about? Trying to attack those dungeons is not your work in the first place.â But, of course, Su-hyeun had no intention of letting Kim Dae-ho go down as the villain. âThe Authority had ownership of these dungeons from the beginning. And you guys wonât succeed in attacking the dungeons anyway. Itâs fun that youâre trying to jump in the dungeons like bugs flying to the fire.â
At Su-hyeunâs ridicule, everyone became quiet. Especially Gwon Jae-hoon, who didnât know Su-hyeun would make fun of him in public, frowned.
âAreâŠyou done talking?â
âIâm not just saying. The raid on the blue-colored dungeon is impossible with you lot alone. Youâre so inadequate that itâs not even funny.â
At Su-hyeunâs affirmation, the reporters, who had had a friendly attitude toward the Hahoetal Guild in general, started to change their opinions.
âNot just a hard time, but theyâre âcompletely inadequateâ for the raid?â
âKim Su-hyeun is the awakener who attacked the blue-colored dungeon with Jordan before. Wouldnât he know about the blue-colored dungeons the best, then?â
âHeâs a pretty reliable sourceââ
âCan we really trust the Hahoetal Guild then? What if they fail in their attack? What if these twin dungeons burst out?â
If dungeons werenât attacked for a certain period, the boundaries between the dungeons and the real-world would crumble, and monsters would pour out from it. A dungeonâs outbreak could cause a lot of damage.
What if the blue dungeon caused an outbreak? That would be an almost unimaginable catastrophe. For that reason, everyone was nervous about who would target these twin blue dungeons. And now, Su-hyeun, who actually experienced a blue-colored dungeon before, was saying that the Hahoetal Guild wouldnât be good enough.
âWrite an article, quickly. Pick a good title and attach a photo. Hurry up.â
âIf the Hahoetal Guild released information that they didnât discuss with the Authority⊠Isnât this a problem?â
âWait. Then, maybe thatâs why Kim Su-hyeun came here. I guess the Authority invited him.â
The reporters whispered to each other. But Gwon Jae-hoon could hear them clearly. Not only his pride but also his actual profits and good image were about to be ruined. Gwon Jae-hoon glared at Su-hyeun.
âThen, do you have the ability for this raid? Is that what youâre saying?â
âYes,â said Su-hyeun.
âWith only four people? How the hellââ
âNo. Not four.â Su-hyeun waved his hands and said, âItâll be me alone.â
âA-alone?â
âFor the blue-colored dungeon?â
âHeâs very confident, isnât he?â
At Su-hyeunâs comment, the reporters buzzed again. Although it was a provocative statement, the reporters were excited about Su-hyeunâs appearance and remarks. The headline was set already.
ăWinner of the Ranking Wars, Kim Su-hyeun challenges the blue dungeon alone!ă
It was a perfect story. The Hahoetal Guildâs challenge to the blue-colored dungeon was no match; the public always wanted a star and longed for fantastic stories. At a word from Su-hyeun, Gwon Jae-hoon and the Hahoetal Guild became the third wheel in an instant.
âCan youâŠtake responsibility for what you say?â asked Gwon Jae-hoon.
âI never say anything that I canât take responsibility for in the first place,â Su-hyeun calmly answered.
âCan you prove it?â
âIf you want to check, you can check it out right now.â
Su-hyeun bobbed his hand as if telling him to bring it on. It was an apparent provocation. But Gwon Jae-hoon couldnât move immediately. Su-hyeun was the one who had defeated Gordon Rohan and about 30 other S-Rank awakeners in a row. No one could beat Su-hyeun in a one-on-one fight. Of course, even if all the awakeners of the Hahoetal Guild pounced on him at once, the result would be the same. They still couldnât guarantee their victory.
âOkay. I understand what youâre saying. Well, then. If you say so, weâll step back.â
Gwon Jae-hoon, who had had a bloody expression, soon put on another mask. He nodded his head with a smile. He looked at Su-hyeun, and the people behind him, Hak-joon, Thomas, and Lee Ju-ho.
âI hope you and your guys succeed in the raid,â Gwon Jae-hoon said, turned his body, and started to go down the mountain.
As they moved far enough from the reporters, Yun Jae-ho came very close to Gwon Jae-hoon and asked in a small voice, âDo we really back off?â
He knew Gwon Jae-hoon well. He wasnât one to give up things like this easily.
âWhat? Of course not,â he answered just as Yun Jae-ho expected.
âGather some talented members. About 20 people. And avert the reportersâ attention.â
âThat meansâŠâ
âWeâll go into the dungeon, too, quietly,â Gwon Jae-hoon said.
âWhat?â
It was a more extreme decision than Yun Jae-ho had expected. Yun Jae-ho thought he knew Gwon Jae-hoon well, but even he didnât expect Gwon Jae-hoon to go this far. Going into the dungeon in secret would never happen, and for a good reason.
âHe should keep his word,â said Gwon Jae-hoon, âOtherwise, it would be difficult to avoid criticism. Also, he might not be able to keep his life.â
Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu
âAre youââ
âCheck which dungeon Kim Su-hyeun is going into. Weâll sabotage his raid. He wonât get a successful attack.â
âSabotageâ was the term among the awakeners. It was the act of interrupting other people or other guildâs dungeon raids. And now, Gwon Jae-hoon was trying to sabotage Su-hyeunâs blue-colored dungeon raid.
âThat son of a b*tch, he crossed the wrong man,â Gwon Jae-hoon muttered with a hard look.