chapter 38
The guild master of Blue Dog, Han Hyunsoo, greeted the two hunters from Myeongga with a smiling face, even though their eyes brimmed with contempt for him.
But inside—
‘Look at these punks acting so high and mighty just because they’ve got a guild backing them. Do they think their guts are made of steel or something?’
In his mind, he’d already stuffed the two hunters into a drum and dunked them in and out several times.
Of course, he couldn’t actually do that.
Because behind them stood the Myeongga Guild.
And Myeongga was infamous among the great guilds for being the most ruthless.
They took on any job that made money, without hesitation.
Sometimes, they crossed the line between legal and illegal.
Thanks to that, even Blue Dog sometimes got to lick up the scraps.
This time was no different.
“If there are merchants who suddenly bring in too much loot, or show up after being absent for a while, report immediately.”
“How are we supposed to keep track of so many people…?”
“No, also check if anyone is selling goods all across the market at once.”
He had argued—wasn’t it impossible to track everyone like that?
But the reply was:
“What, don’t want to? Then we’ll just stop subcontracting to Blue Dog starting next year. There are plenty of guilds who’d love to take your place.”
What could he do against that kind of strong-arm tactic?
And when he heard that several other underworld guilds had already been mobilized for the same investigation, his head spun.
‘On top of that, they said the Black Market itself was already bought off, pretending not to see. If they’re all holding hands, what can we possibly do?’
So, Blue Dog scattered their men over several days, mapping the flow of the market. From that, they identified a few suspicious individuals.
One of them was Go Jinwoo, who hadn’t come around much lately, but had sometimes traded with Blue Dog.
Han Hyunsoo hadn’t really thought he was the one Myeongga was after.
The Jinwoo he knew was timid—never the type to provoke someone’s enmity.
That was why he hadn’t included any mention of Cheongroe (Azure Thunder) in the report.
But now…
‘They’re saying Go Jinwoo is the one they’re after?’
Something felt off. He quickly pieced together the clues.
The conclusion shocked him.
Apparently, one of Myeongga’s guildmaster’s relatives had been killed.
‘Shit! If I’d known that, I would’ve reported him immediately! What do I do now? This could get really dangerous…’
Myeongga was scary enough. But Blue Dog knew very well how terrifying Cheongroe had been.
They had military ranks, but never spared civilians.
Once they marked you as an enemy, it was over.
The fight wouldn’t stop until one side was completely wiped out.
More than one underworld guild had disappeared for crossing them.
Of course, now their leader, Jet, had vanished for unknown reasons, and the unit disbanded. Their glory days were gone.
But that didn’t mean old habits had vanished.
Myeongga and Cheongroe—two whales fighting. Shrimp like Blue Dog would only get crushed.
‘I need to pick the right side. If I misstep here, I’m finished. How do I get out?’
Watching carefully, Han Hyunsoo waited until the two hunters were in good spirits. Then he spoke.
“About the goods you ordered, how are they?”
“Haha. You found them right on time, just as headquarters wanted.”
One hunter stroked a long wooden case lovingly, laughing. His nose flushed red from the whiskey.
Like the Jinwoo search, this was another job Myeongga had specially requested.
Today’s meeting was partly to share info on Jinwoo, but mostly to hand over this item.
“Please don’t forget that Blue Dog scoured every black market in the world to find this. We went through hell for it.”
Han Hyunsoo stood and bowed at a sharp ninety degrees.
The hunters smirked in satisfaction.
“Oh, don’t be like that. You’ll make us feel bad about asking you for things next time.”
But he didn’t miss how they said that while taking it as only natural.
‘Now’s the moment.’
“There’s… something else I should tell you.”
“Yes? Speak.”
He seized the chance, mentioning Go Jinwoo again—saying there might have been a mistake in his file.
But instead—
“Hah! And here we thought you were dangerous. Turns out Blue Dog’s reputation is just empty bluffing.”
They laughed, faces red with drink.
Han Hyunsoo almost lost his temper, but they went on, dismissively:
“Cheongroe? That’s ancient history. Didn’t most of the real core die back in the Gangneung incident?”
He clenched his lips shut.
“Honestly, I’d welcome it if they showed up. At least it’d be entertaining.”
“Yeah, if Cheongroe’s behind Jinwoo, that might even make things easier to report upstairs.”
“Good idea. Let’s do that.”
They chuckled to themselves, when suddenly—
KUKUKUNG!
“Huh?”
“What was that?”
The ceiling trembled. Dust rained down.
“F-fire!”
“Lightning—pouring down outside!”
“Where the hell are the guards!? Why isn’t anyone stopping this!?”
Chaos erupted outside.
And along with it, the heavy scent of mana.
Han Hyunsoo’s face hardened.
“Something’s happening, Guildmaster.”
“Who dares stir trouble in the middle of the Black Market?”
Their mocking eyes turned on him again. As if blaming him for incompetence.
While he fought down his fury, the door burst open and a subordinate rushed in.
“B-boss! Big trouble! Outside, some lunatic—!”
“What the hell are you doing!? Get rid of him—item, weapon, whatever! Don’t humiliate me in front of guests!”
The man dodged a flying ashtray and stammered:
“We—we used Witch Hunt Fire on him, but it did nothing…!”
“What? That’s impossible!”
[Witch Hunt Fire]
In the Middle Ages, inquisitors burned countless innocent women as witches. Their resentment lingers in flames that can never be extinguished.
– Origin: Legend of the Witch Hunt
Even rankers feared that secret weapon.
For a moment, Han Hyunsoo thought of Cheongroe.
“Could it be them, coming to rescue their comrade?”
“No, not soldiers. Just one guy… wearing a strange mask and a white coat.”
“One… guy?”
Han Hyunsoo’s face twisted.
The hunters burst out laughing.
“One man? Maybe a ranker broke in, Guildmaster. What’ll you do, need our help?”
‘Damn it. Ruined.’
Hyunsoo clenched his fists.
Of all times, it had to happen while these two were here.
No doubt they’d report this up the chain.
Then Blue Dog would never taste Myeongga’s scraps again.
Maybe even be blacklisted across the underworld.
One slip, and you’re dead in this world.
‘Who is this intruder, to charge in alone?’
If it were several ex-Cheongroe, that’d make sense. But one man?
No enemy should be bold enough to cross the Drug Lord.
“Did he say anything? Any clue to his identity?”
“H-he said he came on Chairman Peng’s orders…”
“What!? Why didn’t you lead with that, you idiot!?”
“B-but boss told us not to let anyone in without approval—!”
Han Hyunsoo’s mind went blank white.
If the intruder had ties to Peng Jinghao of the Chinese Central Heroes Committee—this chaos made sense.
‘What now…?’
A cold sweat ran down his back.
He feared losing Peng’s favor more than Myeongga’s wrath or exile.
“Over twenty men are already down! Boss, you should get out!”
His subordinate urged him urgently.
But the hunters rose casually.
“Well, since you don’t seem to need us, we’ll take our leave. Good luck.”
Hyunsoo felt something snap inside.
Thunk!
“Beomsan.”
『Yes, Boss.』
“Shut the shutters. No one leaves.”
『Yes, understood.』
Clang! Clang!
Steel doors slammed down everywhere.
[All exits have been sealed.]
“Guildmaster?”
“What are you doing?”
The hunters frowned.
Hyunsoo smiled coldly.
“If the intruder sees you and runs, that’d be troublesome. Just wait here. The chaos will be over soon.”
A chill ran down their spines.
Moments ago, he had groveled. Now he reeked of blood, like a mafia boss.
They were about to demand an explanation—
BOOOOM!
The ceiling collapsed with thunder.
A blinding white flash filled the hall.
Amid dust and lightning, a man appeared, coat billowing.
“A… goblin mask?”
“So this is who you’ve been entertaining, ignoring Peng Jinghao’s orders? Playing with children?”
The distorted voice from behind the black mask was chilling, like a ghost’s wail—impossible to tell age, gender, or tone.
“The old man’s glory has faded. At his age, it’s a wonder his shadow still reaches this far east.”
The hunters scowled, activating their circuits.
They didn’t understand the words, but they knew they were being mocked.
“You weirdo in a costume—!”
“I am Han Hyunsoo, master of Blue Dog! I greet you, sir!”
Before a dagger could be drawn, Hyunsoo suddenly shouted and threw himself flat on the floor.
Behind the mask, golden eyes flickered.
“You know me?”
“I—I’ve met you! At the Central Banquet in Wuhan, six years ago! How could I forget? You told us hunters must live with pride. Your words still ring in my heart!”
The masked man—Lee Hyun—remained silent.
The silence was hell for Hyunsoo.
Then—
A faint chuckle.
“I was about to pop the useless thing on your shoulders. But it seems it’s not entirely worthless yet.”
“Th-thank you for your praise, sir!!”
Hyunsoo banged his forehead on the floor, tears threatening to spill.
He was alive.
「What banquet? What speech? What’s he on about?」
‘I’ve no idea.’
「You don’t—what!?」
「Kakak! A proper bluff, our Apostle!」
Sun Wukong stared in disbelief. Sha Wujing grinned in amusement.
‘In the underworld, Peng’s name goes a long way. He really was the one who introduced me here.’
Peng had stayed in Korea for half a year, trying to recruit Lee Hyun.
But due to Hyun’s mentor, his own stubbornness, and party politics, Peng had returned to China.
Still, they had exchanged connections—including Blue Dog.
‘Peng said they were like dogs—good for errands.’
Hyun’s eyes narrowed.
He’d avoided them later, worried they might leak info. But now, with enemies like Seo Changwoo and Jung Kyuhan holding Chinese ties, and Peng behind them, Hyun intended to use this to sow confusion.
‘Myeongga, Peng, the cartel—if they’re tangled enough, no one will know who I really am.’
Hyunsoo had mistaken him for someone else, but that worked fine. Now he could go after Myeongga openly.
‘But first…’
His gaze chilled as he looked at Hyunsoo’s bowed head.
“How do you plan to repay the insult of leaving me outside in the cold?”
“T-that…”
Gulp.
Hyunsoo lifted his head slightly, fear in his eyes.
[Curse Inscription: “Fear Infection” has severely eroded the target’s mental defenses.]
[Terror imprints onto his psyche. He cannot disobey your commands.]
Combined with the terror of Peng Jinghao’s name and Lee Hyun’s mental curses, Hyunsoo was broken.
He became nothing but a puppet.
Then, as if making a vow—
Slash!
Blood sprayed.
He cut off his own left arm.
“Ugh…! P-please… accept this… as atonement…!”
“For the insult, it is still far from enough.”
Hyun turned away indifferently.
“But since you repent sincerely, I’ll forgive you this once. However, all your guild members must each sacrifice an arm as well.”
“Y-yes, of course! Any who refuse, I’ll cut their throats myself! Thank you for your mercy, sir!!”
Hyunsoo smashed his head into the floor again, tears of joy streaming.
「…Not a cultist, but what the hell is this?」
Wukong clicked his tongue.
Meanwhile, Hyun turned to the others.
Crackle!
Lightning surged.
[Keraunos reveals its maximum firepower!]
[Curse Inscriptions “Overbearing Presence” and “Mental Pollution” exaggerate its might severalfold.]
“There are still fools glaring at me. I don’t like it.”
His eyes fell on the two hunters from Myeongga.
They were already unnerved by Hyunsoo’s madness. Now, they began to think maybe this was truly someone beyond them.
The hall was heavy with invisible pressure from layered curses.
“First,”
Lightning waves filled the floor and walls with white brilliance.
“Kneel.”
“……!”
“……!!”
The white tide rose like a storm, crashing down over the hunters.
