chapter 62
Ma Long.
An executive of the Central Heroes Committee of China.
He was also the overseer of the special unit Pingxin (氷新), and lately, he was in no small amount of irritation.
“…Jang Ihyeon, is this brat making a fool out of me again?”
At the moment, he was staking out around Ihyeon’s residence with two subordinates.
Team Z had been identified as connected with the <Pied Piper> dungeon—and imagine his shock when he found Ihyeon’s name on that roster.
By the original plan, he should have gone straight to Ulleungdo after meeting Jeong Gyuhan in Seoul.
But he had stayed behind of his own accord.
“Z… That guy definitely has something.”
Ma Long never imagined that Ihyeon, crippled by the curse of a 4-star dungeon four years ago, would have somehow made a comeback.
But at the same time, he wasn’t careless about the man either.
“That guy’s scariest strength is his cold judgment and razor intuition.”
Even without ever reaching high-ranker status, Ihyeon had amassed comparable strength—and had even sealed a 4-star dungeon.
Above all,
He was the very first person who had taught Ma Long the meaning of defeat.
That was exactly why he had bet so much on Pingxin, which could be considered the successor of Cheongroe.
“And that very man lived quietly as a freelance guide for four years? Then suddenly joined Team Z? And every place he’s active, mysterious Thunder Demons appear. Can this really be coincidence?”
Ma Long had already completed his background check on Ihyeon’s past.
“The color of lightning is like a fingerprint, so it has to be someone else. But there must be some connection. Maybe he created a monster that combined his own techniques and Cheongroe’s knowledge.”
His eyes glimmered coldly.
“Where was he hiding these past four years, and why is he only surfacing now? I’ll expose it all.”
But for now, he hadn’t reported these suspicious findings to his superiors.
He only had suspicions, no hard evidence.
Still—keep tracking him, and something will turn up. That’s when he’d strike.
Once he brought solid proof to the elders, they’d be more than pleased.
Even the sudden strain in relations with India after Mukesh’s death could be smoothed over.
But…
Days passed, and the man never came home.
Only later did Ma Long find out.
Ihyeon had left for a long-term assignment the very same day he began his stakeout.
And not just that—he’d become a team leader!
“That son of a—!”
Of course, Ihyeon hadn’t done it knowingly.
But that didn’t matter to Ma Long.
He was furious simply at being left to freeze in the cold night winds for days on end.
“What should we do, sir? We can’t afford more delay. The background checks on the other Z-team members are complete, aside from the ones who went on the trip with Z.”
One soldier asked carefully.
Ma Long frowned.
“What about Unit 2?”
“They’re ready and waiting to conduct the dungeon search.”
“Then tell them to begin.”
“But regulations say a supervisor must be present—”
“Do I have to personally micromanage every regulation?”
The senior soldier quickly smacked the back of his junior’s head down.
“Apologies! He’s not fully trained yet. Please forgive the disrespect!”
Ma Long said nothing. He simply put a cigarette in his mouth.
The senior hurriedly reached for his lighter to help.
“Forget it. Put it away.”
Snap.
Instead, Ma Long flicked his index finger at the cigarette.
A crimson spark snapped across—and the tip lit instantly.
…gulp.
The senior swallowed dryly without thinking.
He too was a proud member of Pingxin, but Ma Long’s mastery of magic control was simply on another level.
“As expected of the Disciple of the Thunder God… He’s in a league of his own.”
In folklore, the Thunder God (Leigong) beat his drum in the clouds to unleash thunder and lightning.
Known to punish evildoers, spirits, and demons alike, he was a widely revered figure.
Thus, Ma Long could wield thunder energy—said to be the most destructive of all elements.
“And recently, he even received the Baptism from Master Xu Changyou… No one must fall out of his favor.”
The senior soldier couldn’t help feeling sorry for whoever had caught Ma Long’s eye.
With Ma Long’s notorious stubbornness, he wouldn’t let go until the target was utterly broken.
“Doesn’t dungeon searching take at least five days anyway? Sometimes more than a month. A few days’ delay won’t matter.”
“Yes, sir! Understood. You—come with me!”
The senior grabbed his junior by the scruff and dragged him out.
Fwoo—
Ma Long exhaled a puff of smoke into the lingering chill of early spring.
“So, he became a team leader, just like that?”
He wanted to dig deeper into the intel, but strangely, access was completely locked down.
That only convinced him further that something was hidden.
“I’ll pay you back for standing me up, Z. Come to me soon.”
His eyes gleamed ominously.
And so…
He ended up spending ten more days braving the cold winds.
* * *
At Banpo Express Bus Terminal—
“Good work, Team Leader. Let’s spar again sometime, yeah?”
“Thanks for everything, Team Leader.”
Now accustomed to being called “Team Leader,” Ihyeon accepted farewells from Supervisor Eom Giseon and Supervisor Seo Aeri, then got into a driverless taxi with Kim Minjeong, headed toward Seongsu-dong.
Since they lived in the same direction, Minjeong had offered to drop him off along the way.
They also had things to discuss privately.
“Supervisor Eom’s eyes were practically on fire.”
“That’s because your aura feels completely different now—”
“He was staring at you, though.”
“…”
“Even in the dungeon, he kept—”
“If someone keeps blasting magic bullets at point-blank range, wouldn’t it hurt a lot, Senior?”
Ihyeon laughed, waving his hands.
“Just kidding. But still, Eom does look like he’s hung up on you.”
“I don’t chase trains once they’ve left the station.”
“Well, then, nothing to be done.”
Ihyeon didn’t press further—it was personal business.
“Anyway, now you should give me a straight answer.”
“About what?”
“Don’t play dumb—ugh! You really won’t answer?”
She’d been asking since their trip back from Gyeongsan.
Had he become a Ranker?
Ihyeon gave a short nod.
“No. You were right.”
Minjeong shot forward in her seat.
“Then that means—!”
“No. Not quite there yet.”
“…Ah.”
Meaning he hadn’t fully recovered his abilities from his “Z” days.
She leaned back with a disappointed sigh—then quickly stiffened in realization.
Because in just over a month, Ihyeon had regained an absurd level of power.
At this rate…
“Even a few more weeks, and he might…”
“But in terms of output and efficiency, I think I could hold my own now.”
“…!!”
Minjeong shivered.
“You mean… even against your past self…?”
“Maybe. Winning would be tough, though.”
But Minjeong knew he was understating it.
From what she saw, Ihyeon was already far beyond what he’d been four years ago.
Whether from accumulated experience or a reshaped skill tree, his refined power and judgment made him a terrifying contender.
With them, even fighting Z—he could very well win.
“Haha… hahahaha… I thought you were fast, but this is ridiculous…”
Minjeong laughed helplessly. Her suspicions being confirmed left her drained—yet filled her with hope.
Now, Ihyeon had truly earned the title of “Team Leader” in White Burn.
And at the end of this path…
She swallowed hard and asked:
“Then why keep it a secret until now?”
“Because your reaction is funny?”
Her hand drifted toward her holster.
“Kidding. I just need to confirm something first.”
“Confirm what?”
As always, Ihyeon only smiled silently.
Minjeong pressed her temples.
“So many secrets with you… Fine. Then when will you report it to the company?”
“When I submit the raid report.”
“Seriously… That’ll cause a huge uproar. I can’t wait to see Director Jeong’s face.”
She chuckled bitterly, imagining the tsunami about to sweep the company.
Not only had Ihyeon cleared fifteen long-unsolved dungeons in just two weeks—he was now a Ranker.
His presence would never be ignored again.
Inside and outside the company, everyone would be buzzing about him.
“If the Deputy Director finds out, he’ll fan the flames even more… Office politics are going to explode.”
And the executive Im Wonyoung, who had recommended Ihyeon, would have his position solidified.
There would be no peace anytime soon.
“How did he do it? Could it be tied to the fortune he shared with us?”
Minjeong still couldn’t forget the wonder they had experienced in their last dungeon.
That vast basin, with seven massive cauldrons arranged in a circle.
Though worn and shattered with time, the lingering will was dark and malevolent—so suffocating you could barely breathe.
“It was demonic energy, yes… but purer, deeper than ordinary demonic energy.”
During the Cheongroe era, she’d fought countless demonkin, but their foul miasma was nothing compared to this.
She had been rooted to the spot, unable to leave.
By law, demonic energy sites had to be reported immediately to national authorities.
But instead, she had stayed there, meditating.
Demonic energy and killing intent were separated by a single breath. From poison to medicine, just two steps apart.
She had carefully extracted and refined seven distinct types of energy, forging them into magic bullets.
The purified remnants, she infused into her Legacy.
As a result…
[Legacy “Janghwa Hongryeonjeon” is now Grade A+. Mastery has exceeded its limit.]
[Prepare to engrave your name onto the Tablet.]
Her Legacy had soared in rank. Now she was on the verge of becoming a Ranker herself.
She wasn’t ready yet to attempt Awakening—but she would soon.
Not only had the grade risen, but the depth of the Legacy thickened, and the efficiency of her magic bullets improved.
What she didn’t realize…
That site had once been the gathering place of the Seven Demon Kings.
It was there that the Great Sage, Sun Wukong, had sworn brotherhood with Ox-King and the six others.
Thus, their lingering wills remained intensely imprinted on that place.
Unknowingly, Minjeong had refined killing intent and miasma born of legendary demon lords.
Her soul’s potential was already immense—and her perception toward monsters and demons had sharpened drastically, though she had yet to realize it.
“And I wasn’t the only one to gain fortune.”
Supervisors Eom and Seo had also leveled up immensely.
Each had noticed changes in one another, but silently, the team had agreed to an unspoken rule:
Never ask, never tell.
Whatever they gained, they would keep as a lifelong secret—and bury all traces of Ihyeon’s involvement.
“Besides, with the dungeon closed, no one could ever confirm it anyway.”
Talking with Ihyeon about plans for the future, Minjeong soon reached his neighborhood.
“Thanks for the ride. See you next week.”
“Yeah. Rest well.”
After a long mission, they had vacation time ahead. Ihyeon got out first.
Click.
He watched the taxi drive away, then stretched his body lightly.
“She did better than I thought. I figured three or four at most, but she took all seven.”
『Keh-keh. A girl with ambition. Dreaming big is good.』
Sha Wujing appeared suddenly, stroking his chin.
『Especially, her affinity with Ox-King seemed strongest. She has no idea what she’s pulled off. Hopefully she doesn’t stumble into danger… Keh-keh-keh.』
“She’ll handle it fine. That’s the kind of person she is.”
Ihyeon smiled faintly, then scanned the area.
“But more importantly…”
Instead of going home, he planned to visit Dochul Yabang and General Yi Gunsan’s estate first.
He had been away too long—and had new strength to share.
“I also have plenty of things to deliver.”
He thought of the Heart of Bennu, slumbering in his inventory.
And beside it, the Scroll of Fengmawang.
So much to sort out.
But—
“Looks like a lot of flies gathered while I was away.”
He wasn’t about to let himself be tailed.
He sensed eyes on him—three pairs.
Perfect. One Dochul fang for each.
“Remarkable… It really happened just as General Yi foresaw.”
Muttering cryptically—
Fwhoosh!
[Activating Trust of Dokkebi.]
Ihyeon vanished into a flash of lightning
