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Chapter 33
Mo Jeong-gyeon was very curious about what kind of hunting dog her granddaughter had chosen for the first time.
An old Ranker who wanted to hide his identity…
She was one of the few who knew nearly all the details behind the Gangneung incident.
So, Mo Jeong-gyeon decided to simply watch Lee Hyun from a distance at first.
How much primal wildness would a fighting dog that had returned from hell still carry?
And if he carried it, how venomous would that ferocity be?
Would that venom one day turn and bite its master?
Or was he at least strong enough for that to even be a possibility?
She wanted to confirm it all.
And then—
“He smashed Executive Director Jung’s son’s head in one blow? Even after clearing a long-unsolved dungeon and being in a state of fatigue?”
His actions completely overturned Mo Jeong-gyeon’s expectations.
“The day he returns as a Ranker is not far off. And his skills… they’re clearly far superior to what they once were.”
It was clear: he intended to hide himself as much as possible, but when it was time to act, he would never hold back.
That part, she liked.
Because a hunting dog without wildness is no hunting dog at all.
Especially when one considers who was really behind Executive Director Jung.
“Did he cause trouble without knowing who was behind it… or did he know and still go through with it?”
If it was ignorance, then he was just a simple-minded boy who could be made useful to her granddaughter.
But if it was knowing—
“Then he cannot be used as a hunting dog. A wolf can never be made into a dog.”
Try to force one, and it will only end up biting its master.
So—
Mo Jeong-gyeon intended to confirm for herself whether Lee Hyun was a dog, or a wolf.
If it was the former, she would lavish him with everything.
But if it was the latter—
“Then he must be removed. Before he becomes an obstacle.”
The corner of her mouth twisted slightly.
“Well then, boy. Which are you?”
Lee Hyun felt an overwhelming pressure the moment he approached Mo Jeong-gyeon.
“Huge.”
With every step forward, it felt as if she was growing larger and larger.
Though she hadn’t moved at all, and was just sitting there with a long pipe in her mouth, the pressure was enormous.
“This person… the Mountain God.”
When he had once glimpsed her from afar, it hadn’t been anything like this.
He couldn’t breathe.
No—it was worse than suffocating.
It felt as if he was being crushed beneath the weight of a massive mountainside.
Was this how Sun Wukong felt, pinned beneath the Five Elements Mountain?
Among tens of millions of Hunters worldwide, only nine had reached the rank of Top Ranker.
And she was one of those who competed for the very top seat.
But at this moment, Lee Hyun was absolutely certain.
“Even if all the other eight Top Rankers gathered together, none of them could stand against this one person.”
Even Sun Wukong beside him seemed to be trembling under a similar weight.
「Has a god descended? No… that would come with the restrictions of causality. Then is it an Avatar? But no… there’s no sign her soul is tethered elsewhere… what in the world…」
Even with the Fiery Golden Eyes revealed, Sun Wukong could not discern her essence. His face twisted in confusion.
Which meant only one thing—Mo Jeong-gyeon’s presence was on a level equal to divinity itself.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Lee Hyun tried to steady the pounding in his chest with long, slow breaths.
[‘Deep Breath of the Duokshini (A)’ gradually restores your bodily senses to normal.]
[‘Sacred Relic: Ruyi Jingu Bang’ and ‘Sacred Relic: Mask of the Golden Arhat’ jointly respond to external pressure. Enhanced mental barriers block interference.]
Even with his magic circuits restricted, just circulating the smallest bit of mana allowed him to breathe again.
Though the oppressive weight remained.
“I don’t know why this person suddenly asked to see me… but it won’t just be goodwill. I’d better stay sharp.”
No guild master would move personally just because a single team leader was taken down.
There was more behind it.
“The sum of Fortuna’s dice was 9. There’s no middle ground.”
Lee Hyun decided he would not hide himself.
“I greet the Guild Master. I’m Lee Hyun, Team Z of the Dungeon Strategy Headquarters.”
Because he bowed, he missed the flicker in Mo Jeong-gyeon’s eyes.
“Yes. Nice to meet you. Oh, I hope you don’t mind if I speak informally?”
“For a moment, I doubted you were really the Guild Master, since you look about my age.”
“Oh-hoho. I know you said that to flatter me, but still, it feels rather nice.”
Her smile softened slightly.
But Lee Hyun wasn’t deceived. He only sharpened his guard.
“This is our first time meeting, isn’t it?”
“I did see you once before, from afar.”
“Oh?”
“In South Africa…”
“Ah, when we took down Rabu? You were there?”
That was the five-star dungeon Nest of the Primal Dragon Tiamat in South Africa.
The lesser god Rabu had emerged from it, and was slain by four Top Rankers.
At the center of it all was Mo Jeong-gyeon.
And Lee Hyun had watched from a distance.
“It was then, watching you, that I first resolved to become a Ranker.”
“So you’re smoother with flattery than you look.”
“It’s not flattery. I meant it.”
Even now, he only had to close his eyes to clearly recall that sight.
The way she had become a tiger the size of a house, tearing a god to shreds…
“What is your legacy?”
“A goblin.”
“More specific. There are many kinds.”
“A Duokshini.”
Her smile deepened.
“The king of goblins? Do you, perhaps, carry the Duokshini’s Breath?”
“You know of it?”
“Of course. I was the one who gave it to Lee Gunsan.”
“…!”
Lee Hyun’s eyes widened.
Lee Gunsan.
His mentor.
The man who had created, and later closed, the Cheongroe Unit.
“You know Colonel Lee?”
“Know him? Oh yes, very well. I even know how many pairs of underwear he owned.”
“…?”
“He was my ex.”
“!?”
“Pahahah! I’m joking, I’m joking. We grew up in the same neighborhood. We were peers, though I was a bit older. But when you get old enough, what does that matter anymore?”
“……”
Lee Hyun was starting to lose track of how many times today he had been shaken.
She was someone who could play with people however she pleased.
“That the Mountain God was the one who gave him the Duokshini’s Breath…”
So the threads of fate were tied this way.
The world was indeed small.
“Curious why I called you?”
“At first I thought it was because of Team Leader Jung…”
“And now?”
He lifted his head slightly.
Whoosh—
Her eyes glowed golden.
[‘Sacred Relic: Fiery Golden Eyes’ reads the killing intent rooted in your opponent’s heart!]
[Combat Sense (C) sharpens drastically. Proficiency surges, advancing to Grade B.]
“Was it not to confirm whether I might interfere with your granddaughter?”
Mo Jeong-gyeon’s lips twisted wordlessly.
Smart.
He could see through the hidden layers.
She was beginning to like him.
About 20%.
But—
“Something like that. Which means you’ll have to show me your strengths. I don’t want to personally crush a talent my granddaughter brought to me.”
“I won’t make excuses for the roughness of my hand.”
“Oh?”
“I merely killed someone who deserved to die.”
Mo Jeong-gyeon burst into laughter.
Normally, under such pressure, people would scramble to justify themselves—self-defense, necessity, and so on.
But Lee Hyun revealed himself boldly.
“And who decides who deserves to die?”
“I did.”
“And who are you?”
“At the time, I was the one responsible for that dungeon’s raid.”
“That’s odd. As I recall, wasn’t Team Leader Jung Sun-il the official leader of Team Z?”
“The strategy proposal bore my name. And by company regulations, even if a team has a superior, ultimate responsibility for the raid project lies with the primary strategist. That was me.”
Normally, raid proposals were reported under the team leader’s name, so few remembered this detail. But Lee Hyun clung to it.
“If you question my responsibility or judgment, I’ll accept any punishment. But leaving an A-rank whose mind had broken enough to swing a blade at his allies alive… that was something I could never allow.”
Now Mo Jeong-gyeon liked him even more.
About 40%.
“Then why not simply subdue him? You had the skill.”
“I’d just cleared the dungeon. I had no strength left.”
“Lies.”
“……”
“You don’t think you can deceive my eyes, do you?”
“In that case…”
Lee Hyun smiled bitterly.
He had hoped, but of course—
A god could not be deceived.
He sighed lightly.
Then—
His eyes hardened.
“Then I’ll just say this. I killed him because I wanted to.”
50%.
Now she could finally glimpse his true nature.
Rumble—!
[A vast Presence reveals itself!]
A storm of overwhelming aura erupted.
Lee Hyun’s body shook, one knee forced to the floor.
『Did you think, just because others indulged you, that you could act like a mad dog? That this place is your playground?』
The divine voice carried crushing weight.
He thought he might be flattened entirely.
But Lee Hyun forced his head up.
“This much intimidation…!”
He had felt something like it once before—in the monkey’s lair, upon first meeting Sun Wukong.
The veins around his golden eyes bulged red.
“Never… once did I think this was a playground. To me, it was… a battlefield for survival.”
『……』
“And to survive… one must fight. That’s why I removed anyone who might become an obstacle. For me… and for Team Leader Im.”
『……!』
“Isn’t that what you’re testing me for, Guild Master? To see if I can be used as a blade, or not? Ngh…”
Unable to endure much longer, his other knee nearly struck the floor.
At that instant—
[The storm of Presence ceases.]
The oppressive weight vanished, as if it had never been.
“Hah… hah…”
Sweat drenched him. Still, he forced his head up.
Mo Jeong-gyeon sat with her long pipe, her expression unreadable.
From between her loosened robes, a decadent allure radiated even more strongly.
She exhaled.
White smoke billowed upward.
Lee Hyun knew instinctively: this was the moment to seal his stance.
“At the very least, I won’t hinder Team Leader Im. She and I are looking in the same direction.”
“So you’ll gladly be a blade?”
“Use me however you like. It was the same in the army.”
“And if your directions diverge?”
“I’ll step aside myself.”
“And why should I trust you?”
“Because my principle is to always repay kindness with kindness. If ever I fail that principle…”
He steadied his breath again.
His eyes blazed, like goblin fire.
“…then take my life. I’ll willingly offer my head.”
His gaze was unyielding. Unextinguishable.
Her lips twisted further.
100%.
She lowered the pipe.
Clack.
“Go.”
He couldn’t read her thoughts, but he knew he had passed the urgent test.
“Rest well.”
Bowing, he left the room.
Sweat still clung to his palms.
Relief washed over him. He was alive.
And at the same time—
“One day… I’ll be like that.”
A new goal burned inside him.
Mo Jeong-gyeon lit her pipe again.
Exhaled.
“Offering himself as a blade, huh? Saying what he doesn’t mean, so easily.”
Lee Hyun might have spoken sincerely.
But she knew.
Such a man could never be used as a blade.
He was a man who would wield blades. A master of blades, not one to be wielded.
“A dog, or a wolf, I wondered… but instead, a tiger cub walked in.”
And not just any tiger—
A White Tiger.
“White tigers… their pale coats make them too easy to spot. Survival is hard. But once they grow, it’s different. Breaking through such environmental chains, they boast both cunning minds and savage natures.”
She liked him immensely.
Beyond 100%, to 120%.
He was exactly her taste.
Which only made the decision harder.
“Two tigers cannot live on the same mountain…”
If he matured into a White Tiger and seized the inner chamber, that would be a problem.
Unless—
“…unless the territory expanded to an entire mountain range.”
Her lips twisted again.
Many thoughts ran through her mind.
Just then—
Bang bang bang!
“Grandmother!”
Noise erupted outside.
Exhaling smoke, she gave a wry laugh.
“Whoever she takes after, it surely wasn’t me. How unrefined.”
Mo Jeong-gyeon turned toward the approaching Im Won-young.
There was much to discuss.
